


In You and I, There's A New Land

by Curasha



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Comedy, Crossover, Drama, Eventual Romance, FFXV AU, FFXV better be in KH3, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Noctis and Prompto are oblivious, Promptis - Freeform, Slow Burn Romance, Sora sees the Promptis, adorkable dorks dorking around, because the game was too sad, cuteness, slight promnea, so much drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:45:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 57,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11742018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curasha/pseuds/Curasha
Summary: After Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio leave the Crown City and head for Altissia, the boys run into new and dangerous threats and question whether the Empire is their main concern. As if that wasn't enough, the boys eventually stumble upon Sora, a young teen who has a special power that they've never seen the likes of, and take him into their group. Throughout their journey, the boys are determined to rid Lucis of all evil threats and get Sora back to his friends. However, as Sora becomes close to each of the four, Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio question how much they really know about the world and if what they're striving for is what they really want. The boys affect Sora's way of thinking as well, for he starts doubting himself as a hero and wonders if when the time comes for him to go home, will he be able to leave his new friends?





	1. Shooting Star

**Author's Note:**

> Hello beautiful peoples! This is my first fic ever so I hope you enjoy it and stick along for the ride!
> 
> Anyway, I was inspired to write this crossover by the talented destiny-islanders on Tumblr! Y'all should go and check out her awesome KH/FFXV crossover art!
> 
> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any of these characters, FFXV, or KH.

_“They say every world is connected by one great big sky. So maybe there's somebody up there in all those worlds who's really hurting, and they're waiting for you to help them.”_

_“Well gee, do you think there's something I could do?”_

_“Hmm... Maybe they just need you to open your heart and listen.”_

– Riku to Sora, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

 

 

 “Prompto, you're up!”

At the sound of his name being called, Prompto turned to his best friend. Noctis was fighting off a behemoth, and a ferocious one at that. Right away, Prompto knew what his friend wanted him to do. The blonde took aim with his gun, Quicksilver, and fired at the behemoth's weak spot. Outraged, the behemoth turned his attention to Prompto, leaving his back to Noctis. The raven haired male took the opportunity to leap up in the air and summon his blade. He then landed on the behemoth's back and stabbed it until the hilt was buried in its back. Just before the creature fell to the ground, Noctis took his sword and leaped off of its back and landed gracefully a few feet in front of his best friend.

“Nice one Prompto.”

“It's nothing.”

“Hey, you guys alright?” Prompto turned around to see a tall muscly man walking their way.

“Yup!” the blonde responded.

“Nothing we couldn't handle,” replied Noctis.

“Good. There better not be anything you can't handle,” Gladio said with a smirk. Another man came up beside Gladio. He was shorter by a few inches and wore glasses.

“I dare say, you two make quite the team,” said Ignis.

Prompto laughed. “Awww come on Ignis. I think we all make a pretty good team together.”

“You know, he's right,” Noctis mentioned.

“Hey, it's gonna get dark soon. We better figure out where we're going to crash for the night,” Gladio said.

Prompto sighed. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should set up camp at a nearby haven. I don't think I saw any motels on the way here.”

“Ughhh, camping, really?” complained the prince.

Prompto put his hands up in the air. “Hey man, I'm just saying that it might be hours before we find a motel out here.”

“He does have a point,” piped in Ignis.

“Fine, but I'm sitting shotgun.”

“What?! Why?! I always sit shotgun!”  
  
“Think of it as a punishment for your betrayal against the Prince of Lucis,” Noctis said with an evil smirk.

“Not cool dude,” Prompto glared at Noctis and then made his way toward the Regalia. As he made his way to the car, he noticed something black moving inside the ground. Prompto stopped where he was and watched the black creature move inside the ground toward him and then pop out of the ground right in front of him. The creature was small and black with big yellow circular eyes and two long antennas on the top of its head.

“What the heck is that?” Prompto wondered.

The creature looked up at the blonde and suddenly jumped on top of him.

“Ahhhhhhh! Get off me! Get off!” Prompto yelled.

“Prompto!”

Prompto could hear his best friend's voice but he couldn't see him, for the creature was blocking his view and all he could see was black. He managed to pry the creature off of him and throw it on the ground. He then summoned his gun and shot it. The creature then disintegrated into black smoke.

Prompto put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. He heard footsteps and felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay?” Noctis asked, concern lacing his tone.

“Yeah, I'm good,” Prompto replied.

“What was that?”

“I don't know. Maybe a new type of daemon?”

“Couldn't have been a daemon. It's still daylight outside,” Gladio interjected.

“We should start-” Ignis stopped as he noticed more of the creatures popping out of the ground around them. There was at least ten of them now and they were running towards the group.

“I don't care what these things are. They attack one of you guys, that makes them enemies to me,” Noctis said with rage in his eyes as he summoned his engine blade.

“Good enough reason for me,” Gladio said as he summoned his sword.

“Couldn't have said it better myself,” Ignis agreed as he summoned his daggers.

“Awww, you guys know how to make a girl blush,” Prompto teased.

“Shut up Blondie,” Noctis said in a playful tone.

As soon as Noctis said that, he warp striked one of the creatures down and headed for another. Gladio sliced through them with his sword. Ignis threw daggers at creatures that were approaching from a distance and slashed the ones that came too close. Prompto shot the creatures in the face with Quicksilver and watched as black smoke appeared whenever one was taken down.

As the friends fought, more kept appearing until there were dozens of black creatures heading their way.

“We must retreat Noct! There are too many and more keep coming as we speak!” Ignis exclaimed.

“Right, gotcha! Let's go!” Noctis yelled out and started making his way to the Regalia.

At the prince's words, everyone ran to the car.

Ignis got into the driver's seat and started the car. Gladio took his place in his respective seat. Noctis jumped in the back and Prompto, not wanting to waste more time in going around the car to get to the passenger's seat, jumped in the back seat and landed, sprawled out on Gladio and Noctis.

“Go, go, go!” the blonde yelled and Ignis did just that. He slammed on the gas and drove away from the horde of creatures that was trying to reach them. Prompto got off of his friends and awkwardly tried to sit in the middle seat. It was quite a squeeze but he didn't care at the moment. He turned around and saw the creatures as little black dots in the distance.

With a sigh of relief, Prompto sank down in his seat. “We lost them.”

“Yeah, but what were those things?” asked Noctis.

“Beats me, but they sure are creepy.”

“I suggest that we look into the matter. We may not know what they are, but we can figure out their weakness and perhaps what attracts them,” mentioned Ignis.

“I agree with Iggy. The more we figure out about them, the easier it'll be for us to get rid of them,” said Gladio.

“Alright, but can we like, talk about this tomorrow? I'm way too tired, confused, and uncomfortable to continue this conversation.” Noctis tried to move around in his seat.

“Uncomfortable?” asked his freckled friend.

“Yeah, you're pressing me up against the door. Not to mention, you're in my personal space.”

“Awww, come on. It's not my fault and plus, I thought the whole personal space thing didn't apply to your best buddy.”

“I'll be sure to tell them that when I find a best buddy.” Noctis smirked.

Prompto gasped and put a hand to his heart. “I am hurt!”

From the driver's seat, Ignis chuckled. “Children, please, I am trying to drive.”

“We're not children,” grumbled Noctis.

“Says the one who complains about personal space and vegetables,” Gladio said.

“Hey!”

“Awww, it's alright Noct. I know how to make it all better,” cooed Prompto. He turned to Noctis and hugged him, squeezing him until the raven haired male was grunting.

“Prompto!” complained Noctis.

“Hahaha! You still uncomfortable there buddy?” laughed Prompto.

“Very.”

Noctis eventually managed to get out of Prompto's hold. The prince crossed his arms and pouted.

“Awwwww. Is wittle Noctis gwumpy?” teased Prompto.

“Who are you calling little? Last I checked, I was taller than you,” retorted Noctis.

“Dude, you're taller by like, an inch.”

“It's still an inch of height I've got on you.”

Now it was Prompto's turn to cross his arms and pout. “Shut up.”

Noctis laughed at his friend's behavior.

Ignis shook his head. “Like I said, children.”

 

* * *

 

 They had arrived safely at a haven that was only a few miles away from their previous destination. Ignis had cooked up a meal that, luckily for Noctis, did not contain any sort of vegetables. They ate and talked around the campfire and even had a cup of ebony at the end.

As it got late, Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis began making their way into the tent to go to sleep.

“You coming Prom?” Noctis asked, for his blonde friend was still standing at the edge of the haven with his camera.

“In a little bit. I wanna get a few shots. It's a beautiful night and I'm not gonna let it go to waste,” responded said blonde.

Noctis chuckled. “Alright, just don't get into any trouble.”

“I'm offended Noct.”

Noctis just laughed and proceeded to make his way to the tent. Once everyone was inside, Prompto held up his camera and took pictures of the night sky. Taking pictures helped Prompto relax and forget about his worries and insecurities. It reminded him that even though he may not have been an amazing fighter or a good strategist, or even the perfect friend, he was at least a decent photographer.

Eventually, Prompto just sat down and stared at the night sky. There were so many stars twinkling. The blonde was amazed that that many stars could even exist.

Out of the corner of his eye, Prompto noticed an unusually bright star. It was bigger and brighter than all the others lighting the night sky.

“Whoah.” Prompto held up his camera and snapped a few shots of the star. “Never seen one shine that much before.”

After a couple of minutes of staring at the star, Prompto noticed that it started to move down toward the earth.

“A shooting star?”

The star was falling through the sky and appeared to be heading toward a spot in the forest near the haven. Intrigued and never one to miss an opportunity at a perfect shot, Prompto ran in the direction that the shooting star was heading in.

After three minutes of running, Prompto stopped at a lake. The shooting star was much closer now. In fact, it was close enough for Prompto to snap a good picture of it.

“Wow. Noct's gonna flip when he sees this.”

As he looked through his camera lens, Prompto saw that the shooting star was extremely close now.

“Huh? I don't remember zooming into it.”

Prompto looked down at his camera and saw that all the settings were just as he had left them. Then, he looked back up at the shooting star and realized that it was actually getting closer to him.

“Oh shit!”

Prompto began to run away from the lake. However, he was only able to run a few feet when he heard a loud splash. Prompto stopped in his tracks and turned around. He didn't see the shooting star falling anymore. He slowly crept towards the lake.

“Could it really have-”

The blonde stopped and looked at the surface of the lake. He shined his light at the water and saw an outline of something, no, someone, sinking to the bottom.

“Oh my gods!”

Prompto took off his vest and boots and dived into the water. Luckily, his light was waterproof so he was able to see underwater better. He swam toward the sinking body. Once he reached the body, he wrapped his arm around the person and pushed with all his might to the surface. With a gasp, Prompto breathed in the cold night air and made sure to keep the person's head above the water. With a few strokes, Prompto reached land and pulled himself and the person onto the soft grass. He lied on the grass for a few seconds before remembering that there was someone else that needed tending to.

The blonde got up and knelt next to the person. It was a boy, a few years younger than he was. He had brown spiky hair and wore a black shirt, black jacket with short sleeves, black finger less gloves, black cargo pants, and black shoes with a hint of yellow. The boy also wore a chain on his neck that had a crown hanging from the bottom.

“Maybe he's some sort of prince?”

Prompto put his hand beneath the boy's nose to check if he was breathing. After a few seconds of not feeling any sort of indication that the boy was breathing, Prompto went into panic mode.

“Okay, okay! Relax. You got this. Gladio taught you all about CPR. You got this.”

Prompto leaned in toward the boy, covered his nose with one hand, and put his lips to his, blowing air into his mouth. After a few breaths, he did a few chest compressions. After no sign of life from the boy, Prompto proceeded to repeat the process of giving air and pushing on his chest. It was after the fifth time of doing this that the boy coughed and spluttered as the water from his lungs came out of his mouth. However, the boy did not open his eyes.

“Gods, I hoped that didn't count as child molestation.”

Prompto put his hand below the boy's nose again and felt that he was, indeed breathing this time.

The blonde sighed in relief. “At least he's breathing.”

Prompto put on his boots and draped his vest over the boy's body. Then, he carried the boy bridal style back to the haven.

 

* * *

 

 “Guys! A little help here!” Prompto yelled out as he reached the haven.

Ignis was the first to run out of the tent. Gladio followed closely behind him and as usual, Noctis was the last one to make his way out of the tent.

“There better be a good reason as to why-” Noctis stopped his complaint as he saw the unconscious boy in Prompto's arms.

“Lay him near the fire Prompto! I'll retrieve blankets from inside!” commanded Ignis.

Prompto carefully lied the boy down near the fire. He didn't take his vest though. He thought that maybe if he left it on him, it might somehow help him wake up faster. It was a silly thought but right now, Prompto would believe anything to make sure this boy would be okay.

“What happened?” asked Gladio. At this point, Ignis was returning with many blankets in his arms and began to cover the boy in them. Noctis just stood next to Prompto, who was kneeling beside the boy, staring at the unconscious teen.

“I – I don't know. I was just taking pictures when I spotted this shooting star. I followed it to a lake until it crashed in the water. I looked in the lake only to realize that he was the shooting star. I jumped in and was able to resuscitate him and bring him back here,” responded Prompto.

“You did good kid,” Gladio said and patted him on the back. Ignis handed Prompto a blanket. The blonde accepted it with thanks and covered himself with it.

“Will he be alright?” Prompto asked.

“He should be. As long as we keep him warm and make sure he's breathing, he should be awake by tomorrow,” answered Ignis.

Prompto nodded at Ignis' answer.

It was Noctis' turn to speak. “Who is he?”

Prompto looked at the unconscious boy's face. After a minute of silence, he answered Noctis' question.

“Sora. This is Sora.”

 

 

 

 


	2. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've created a blog for my writing on Tumblr! If anyone wants to ask questions, be updated on fics, or even just chat, you can find me at @l-curasha-l
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any of these characters or the games. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

_“One day when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe.”_  
  
\- Aqua, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

 

It was 3:22 in the morning when Prompto woke up again to check on the young boy known as Sora. He had been doing this all night, and morning, since he couldn't sleep well knowing that the boy was still unconscious. Prompto had been sitting in a chair outside, near Sora, who was lying next to the fire. The blonde had wanted to put Sora in the tent but Ignis insisted that being near the fire would warm him up much faster. With that being said, Prompto had dragged his sleeping bag outside, put Sora in it, and took a seat near him. He had tried to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes at a time but so much was running through his mind. He was worried about the new threat they had encountered the day before, he was worried about Sora, and he was worried about his relationship with Noctis.

“Damn it. Why didn't I just tell him? It's not like it's something bad that I'm keeping from him anyway,” said Prompto to no one in particular.

He closed his eyes, leaned back in the chair, and thought about his fight with Noctis earlier. It had happened just after Prompto told everyone the name of the young boy.

 

_“Sora. This is Sora.”_

_Noctis looked at Prompto with shock and confusion. “What do you mean this is Sora? How do you know who this is?”_

_Prompto looked up at the prince. “I- I don't know. It's just some feeling I have.” Prompto looked down to the floor, unable to look into his eyes anymore._

_“Just some feeling? You don't save a stranger from drowning who just literally fell out of the sky and get a 'feeling' of who he is!”_

_Noctis was angry. Prompto could tell. He had balled up his fists and was glaring at Prompto. The blonde still couldn't look up, for if he would, he was afraid that he would just break down._

_“It's just- I- You gotta trust me on this Noct,” Prompto pleaded._

_“You're hiding something from me,” the raven haired male crossed his arms. “I thought you trusted me Prom, trusted me enough to tell me anything, cause I have never kept anything from you!”_

_Prompto choked back a sob but Noctis didn't notice. “We're trying to help this kid and you might be holding something back that can help him. I honestly can't belie-”_

_Prompto finally looked up at the sudden pause from his friend. Noctis was thinking about something, and whatever he was thinking about was troubling him._

_Finally, the prince looked at his friend again with wide eyes. “Do- do you know him?”_

_“Yes- I mean no- I mean- ugh! It's hard to explain Noct! This is the first time I'm seeing this kid but I swear that I've never met him before in my life!”_

_“Right. Cause you always stutter when you're telling the truth,” Noctis said in disbelief._

_“Noct please! I'm being honest here man!”_

_“Are you?! Cause I know there's more to it Prom! You don't just figure out who someone is in a few seconds!”_

_“So you're getting all worked up about me knowing this boy's name?!”_

_“No! That's not what I'm angry about. What I'm angry about is that you're keeping something from me and you obviously don't trust me enough to tell me!”_

_Suddenly, Prompto saw something in his friend's eyes that he never wished to cause. He saw sadness. He saw his friend's eyes water. But just as quickly as he saw it, Noctis turned around and tried to compose himself._

_“You know what? I don't need to deal with this crap. I have much more important things to worry about.”_

_At those words, Prompto gasped and bit on his tongue to prevent himself from outright sobbing. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and luckily for him, Noctis still had his back to him so he couldn't see how distressed the blonde was._

_Noctis went back in the tent, leaving Prompto outside with Sora. Ignis and Gladio had witnessed the whole thing and slowly walked toward Prompto._

_Ignis crouched to Prompto's level and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry Prompto. Noct is just a bit stressed from everything that's been happening. Unfortunately, when he gets stressed, he manages to take it out on others, even the people closest to him.”_

_“Don't sweat it Prom,” Gladio said as he ruffled the blonde's hair. “He'll be over this by the morning, and if not, we'll talk some sense into him.”_

_Prompto managed to smile just a little bit. “He does have a point though. What kind of friend am I if I'm keeping stuff from him?”_

_“Everyone has stuff they don't tell other people, no matter how close they are.”_

_“Noctis has never been one to freely trust anyone. So imagine my surprise when he introduced you to me. He had put his trust in you that very first day you talked to him.” Ignis smiled. “Do not doubt yourself Prompto. Noctis just doesn't know how to deal with this, especially since you're his first real friend outside of the palace.”_

_Prompto hugged his knees to his chest. “He's my first real friend too.”_

 

Prompto opened his eyes to see the sun coming up.

“How long was I out?”

He checked his phone and saw that it was 6:47 in the morning. Usually, Ignis and Gladio would be awake by this time but from everything that had happened yesterday, they deserved the rest. Prompto yawned and stretched. He felt tired but couldn't go back to sleep. He got up and saw that the fire had died down. He closed his eyes and yawned as he made his way toward the cooler to get a bottle of water.

Suddenly, Prompto tripped on something and fell.

“Ow!” exclaimed a voice.

He realized that he had tripped over someone and landed partially on this someone. Prompto lifted his upper body to see two blue cerulean eyes staring at him in, surprise, fear?

“Ahhhhh!” Sora yelled.

Prompto scooted back from the boy. “Shhhhhh! It's alright! I'm not gonna hurt you!”

Sora got out of the sleeping bag and pointed a finger at Prompto. “Who are you?! Where am I and what were you doing on top of me?!”

Okay, so this was obviously a terrible first impression and Prompto really didn't mean to scare Sora. He was just naturally clumsy.

“Okay, I get that you're scared but let me explain, alright?” Prompto said as he held up his hands in front of him. “I'm Prompto and right now you're at a haven.”

“A haven?” asked Sora who was still scared and confused.

“Yeah, you know, where people camp to get away from the daemons?”

“Daemons?”

Now it was Prompto's turn to be confused. “Wait, how do you not know about daemons?”

“I'll be asking the questions!” Sora tried to sound intimidating but still managed to sound scared. Prompto thought it was kind of cute.

“Okay, okay. Ask away.”

“Where am I?”

“You're in a haven in Lucis.”

Sora's eyes got wide and he looked like he was in some sort of shock. “I'm in a different world.”

Prompto took a step toward Sora. “Dude, you okay?”

Before Prompto knew it, Sora was pointing a blade at him, but not just any blade. This blade was different from any he had ever seen. It resembled the shape of a key and at the bottom of the hilt hung a key chain with the silhouette of a mouse's face.

“Whoah whoah! Calm down!” Prompto didn't dare move for the tip of the blade was just a few centimeters away from his throat.

“I'm not gonna calm down!”

There was movement from inside the tent as Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis all scrambled out. They stopped when they saw their friend's state. They were about to summon their weapons when Prompto stopped them.

“Guys don't! I've got this. Just-” Prompto paused and looked at Noctis. “Just trust me, okay?”

Ignis and Gladio complied and Noctis reluctantly put his hands back to his sides.

Sora looked at the three and they looked back at him, unsure of what he would do.

“Hey Sora.”

Sora turned at the sound of his name. “How do you know my name?” he asked Prompto.

“Because, you told me, remember?” he pushed the blade away slowly and started inching toward Sora. “You told me your name. You needed help cause you were hurt and you said that I could help you.”

Prompto was now a couple of feet away from Sora. Sora still had his blade out but he was holding it at his side.

“Tha- That was you?” Sora asked, looking up at Prompto.

“Yeah. It was me,” Prompto smiled.

Sora's weapon disappeared in a flash of light and the boy ran to Prompto. Prompto braced himself for what was to come. He expected to be punched, kicked, or even tackled to the ground. However, he did not expect for the boy to wrap his arms around his waist and bury his head in the fabric of his shirt.

“Thank you,” he heard Sora mumble.

Prompto smiled and wrapped his arms around Sora. “You're very welcome, Sora.”

Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis just stood watching the scene. All three of them at this point were extremely confused and wondering what the hell was going on.

“Care to explain now Prompto?” the blonde looked up at the sound of Noctis' irritated tone. He slowly pushed away from Sora and faced his three friends.

Prompto took in a deep breath. “Before I explain, I just wanna let you know that the reason I didn't tell you this yesterday was cause I didn't think you would believe me. It's all gonna sound crazy and I wanted to wait until Sora woke up to make sure that what I'm about to tell you actually happened and wasn't some sort of crazy dream.”

“Prom, you don't have to-”

“No Gladio, it's okay. If it gets Noct to trust in me again, I'll do anything,” the blonde said as he looked at the prince.

“I could tell them if you want,” suggested Sora.

“Thanks kid, but I have to tell them myself.”

Prompto took a minute to compose himself.

“It all started when I saw Sora falling out of the sky. I followed the 'shooting star' not just cause I wanted to get a good picture, but mostly cause something was telling me to. Once I reached him and managed to save him, I felt this great relief wash over me. When I brought him back to the camp, that's when the weird stuff happened.”

 

_“Who is he?”_

_Prompto's world had suddenly disappeared in a great flash of light. He closed his eyes and shielded them. When he opened them, he saw that he was standing on what looked like a giant circular glass painting. He saw that the painting depicted the boy he had just saved, sleeping, and around him were images of different people. There was a girl with red shoulder length hair and violet eyes smiling, a boy with bright blue-green eyes and short silver hair that reached a little past his ears, a duck with a blue beret like hat on top of its head, a dog with two buck teeth and an orange hat atop his head, and a mouse._

_He noticed that there were cracks on one part of the painting that kept getting bigger little by little. Light was shining on the circular painting but around him, it was pitch black._

_“Hello?” Prompto called out._

**_Hi. I'm Sora._ **

_Prompto jumped and turned around. There was no one around but he could have sworn that he heard someone speak to him._

**_Don't be scared._ **

_Prompto was now panicking. “Okay, I'm going crazy. I've lost my mind.”_

**_Don't worry, you're not crazy. You can only hear me but not see me._ **

_“Why? Where am I?”_

**_You're in my heart._ **

_“Sorry, never heard that song.”_

**_No. You're actually inside my heart._ **

_Prompto squinted at the painting. “So wait. I'm inside your heart?”_

**_Yep. You're standing on it._ **

_Prompto looked back down at the painting in horror. “Oh gosh! I hope I'm not hurting you!”_

**_Don't worry. You're not hurting me._ **

_Prompto noticed that the voice sounded somewhat amused. “So, why am I in your heart?”_

**_Because you opened up yours._ **

_“I did? I didn't realize.”_

**_You have a very strong heart. It's full of hope, love, and kindness. Your heart is always open to those who need some of your strength._ **

_“Really? You sure? I think you might be looking for Noct or Ignis or even Gladio.”_

**_No, because I found you._ **

_Those words touched Prompto's heart and he smiled softly. “Why am I in your heart?”_

**_My heart got damaged and it's slowly breaking apart, piece by piece. I need your help to fix it._ **

_“How did this happen?” Prompto looked down at the cracks that were slowly spreading around him._

**_I don't have much time to explain. When I wake up, I'll tell you._ **

_“Alright, seems like a fair deal,” chuckled the blonde._

**_Will you help me?_ **

_“Of course I will. Why wouldn't I?”_

**_Thank you._ **

_Prompto didn't know how he knew what to do next, but he just did. He knelt down next to one of the cracks and placed his hand on it. Bright light flashed from where his hand was placed and next thing he knew, all the cracks were gone and Prompto was slowly coming back to reality._

_The boy's unconscious form was coming back into his view. Once he realized that he was back at the haven with his friends, he answered Noctis' question._

_“Sora. This is Sora.”_

 

“Wait wait. So you're telling me that you were inside this kid's heart?” asked Noctis in disbelief.

“This kid has a name you know,” said Prompto. “And yes, I was inside Sora's heart. I helped repair his heart.”

“Do you believe him?” Noctis asked Ignis and Gladio.

“Why would he make this up?” Gladio asked.

“We live in a world with daemons, magic, and monsters. It wouldn't be crazy to believe Prompto's story,” Ignis said.

“You don't believe me,” Prompto stated to Noctis.

“It's not that. It's just- it's all-” Noctis rubbed his face with his hand.

“Do you think Prompto's lying?”

Noctis looked up at Sora. “No, no. I actually think he's telling the truth.”

“And why do you think that?”

Noctis look at his blonde friend. “I don't know. Just this feeling I have.”

Sora smiled. “That feeling is your heart.”

“My heart?”

Sora nodded. “Your hearts are connected. Why do you think you guys trust each other, believe in each other, care for each other. How do you think you can tell when the other is sad or confused, stressed or angry?”

“So, my heart is connected with Prompto's?”

“Not just Prompto's. All your friends',” Sora gestured to Ignis and Gladio. “Same with their hearts.”

“How do you know so much about this stuff?”

“I've been traveling to different worlds to fight off darkness and restore the light for a year and a half. I pick up on things,” Sora smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“I must say, this is absolutely extraordinary,” Ignis commented.

“How do you not know about hearts and their power? Every world I've gone to has a basic understanding of the concept of hearts,” wondered Sora.

“I am not sure but if you would be willing to tell us, we would like to know more about this after you get some dry clothes and a proper meal.”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

“Now, seeing as you are not that tall, I would suggest borrowing a pair of clothes from either Noct or Prompto.”

“Hey!” exclaimed Noctis and Prompto at the same time.

“Well you two are the shortest of the four of us,” snickered Gladio.

“I'm taller than him!” retorted Noctis.

“One inch Noct. It's just one inch!” said an annoyed Prompto. “Plus, you seem to have more of Sora's style down. You guys are basically wearing the same thing.”

Noctis and Sora looked at each other and realized that they were, in fact, wearing very similar styles of clothing.

“Fine, I'll fetch him something.” And with that, Noctis went back in the tent to look through his bag for a change of clothes for Sora.

Prompto stared in the direction of the tent with a sad look to his eyes.

“Hey, what's wrong?” asked Sora.

“Nothing, I'm fine,” responded Prompto.

“No you're not. I can tell. Our hearts are connected now, remember?”

The blonde chuckled and looked at the teen. “Guess I can't get anything past you now huh?”

“Nope,” Sora smiled encouragingly at the older male.

“It's just that me and Noct haven't cleared some things up. I don't wanna just leave things like this between us and pretend nothing ever happened, ya know?”

“Just talk to him.”

“I can't. He's still mad at me and he won't wanna listen.”

Sora crossed his arms. “Prompto, did you not see how Noctis got when he saw me threatening you with the keyblade? He cares about you and wouldn't want you to be feeling miserable. Go talk to him, he'll listen,” Sora smiled.

Prompto twiddled his thumbs and bit his lip. “Okay, but maybe not right now? I'm starving and I'm tired from trying to convince you not to kill me,” chuckled Prompto.

“Oh yeah, sorry about that,” Sora said sheepishly.

“Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing in your situation.”

“Really?”

“No not really! I would have ran for my life!” Prompto exclaimed.

At this, Sora laughed and Prompto joined in. Noctis came out of the tent with a pile of clothes in his hands. “What's so funny?” Noctis asked with one eyebrow raised and a small grin on his face.

“Your friend just admitted that I'm way tougher than he is,” answered Sora with a smug smirk.

“Did not! You just took it that way!” Prompto exclaimed.

Noctis started laughing and Prompto couldn't help the smile that came to his face at seeing his best friend like this. “Now I get what Iggy means when he calls us children.”

Once Noctis calmed down, he handed the clothes to Sora. “Think these might fit you better than my other clothes. They might be a little big still but it's something.”

“Thanks,” Sora went inside the tent and began to change.

Prompto was left with Noctis while Ignis was cooking and Gladio was doing his morning workout. The silence between the two was awkward and it was driving both of them crazy.

Eventually, Noctis couldn't stand anymore of it. “Hey Prom, can we go somewhere private?”

Prompto looked at his friend in surprise. “Um, yeah, sure.”

The two walked away from the haven until they were a good mile away. They had reached a small clearing with a pond. Noctis stood right next to it, boots almost touching the water, and Prompto stood to the side of him but made sure to keep his distance.

Noctis took a deep breath and stared out at the pond. “Do you know why I asked you to come on this trip Prompto?”

Prompto looked at Noctis with fear in his eyes. “Look Noct, I'm so-”

“Prom, please just, just let me speak my part first, okay?” Noctis faced his friend and walked up to him. Prompto nodded but still felt scared. He was scared that this was it, this was the moment where Noctis got rid of him and left him. This was the moment he feared his whole life.

“So, do you know why I asked you?” asked the prince.

Prompto pondered over the question. Why did Noctis ask him to come along? He could have picked someone more capable of defending him, someone with more skill, someone with more brains. So out of all the people Noctis could have chosen, why did he choose him?

“Honestly, I don't know,” Prompto confessed.

“I'll tell you why I picked you then,” Noctis placed his hands on both of Prompto's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “I wanted you to come along on this journey not just to protect me, but mostly cause you're my friend, best friend, and I couldn't think of anyone better to have by my side.” Noctis smiled. “Prom, I trust you with my life. You're family to me. You always manage to keep me from falling apart and having you on this trip has been one of the best decisions I've made.” Noctis bit his lip and looked at the ground. “I'm sorry how I acted earlier and what I said. I was just scared that you didn't trust me anymore but I want you to know Prom, that you can trust me with anything.”

Prompto shook his head. “Noct, I should be apologizing, not you. I do trust you. I completely trust you. It's not that I didn't want to tell you, I just needed to figure out if what happened to me, actually happened. I didn't wanna worry you with something that might not have even happened. I'm sorry Noct. I'm really sorry.”

Noctis looked up at the blonde. “Guess we both messed up huh?”

Prompto chuckled. “Maybe just a little bit.”

Noctis took his hands off of Prompto's shoulders. “So, our hearts are connected?”

“Yep! They're connected with Iggy's and Gladio's too!”

“Huh. Still trying to get used to the idea. And yours is connected with Sora's?”

“Yep!”

“Okay, just trying to make sure I get what's going on,” Noctis said sheepishly.

“Don't worry, it's still a little confusing to me too but we'll get through it.”

There was silence between the two but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence that only lasted for a few minutes until it was interrupted by a certain teen.

“Hug!”

Noctis and Prompto turned in the direction of the voice. Sora was emerging from some bushes dressed in a white t-shirt, black long-sleeved jacket, and dark blue jeans, which were all a little too big for him.

“What?” Noctis asked, giving him a quizzical look.

“Hug it out! You don't just forgive each other and have a bonding moment and act like nothing happened! Come on, hug!”

Noctis looked at Prompto, unsure. “Ummmm-”

“Do it!”

“Alright, alright!” Noctis gave up and put his arms around the blonde. The blonde returned the hug. At first it was a little awkward, but then it felt, well, right. The two were hugging for quite some time until Sora cleared his throat. “Ummm, so the guy with the glasses made breakfast.”

The two pulled away from each other. Sora noticed that both males' cheeks were a little red but didn't mention it in order to prevent any awkwardness.

“Haha, you mean Ignis?” Prompto asked as he scratched the back of his head. “We better get going then or he's gonna tear us a new one.”

Noctis smiled. “Yeah, I guess you're right.”

And with that, the three went back to the haven to eat the meal that Ignis had prepared for them. However, before they could eat, they all got a lecture from the adviser as to why they shouldn't wander off without letting him know first.

 

 

 

 


	3. Boys Will Be Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: l-curasha-l
> 
> I just started college so my updates may not be as frequent as you guys may want them to be but I will be updating this story! I will never leave a fic unfinished, and that is a promise!
> 
> By the way, Happy Birthday Boa!

_“The friendship between boys. It almost makes me jealous.”_

\- Aqua, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

 

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Besides the one you just asked? Sure.”

“Why aren't you wearing a shirt?”

Gladio was taken aback by the young boy's question. “What?”

“You're wearing a jacket but with no shirt. Why?”

“Well, cause-”

“Cause he likes showing off his abs,” answered Noctis who was busy poking at his breakfast with a fork.

“Well yeah, that's how he gets all the ladies,” Prompto commented.

“At least I can get some,” Gladio retorted with a smug smirk.

“Hey!”

“Now Gladio, don't you remember? Prompto got his first kiss last night,” Noctis said.

“I did?” a confused Prompto asked.

“Yeah, although it wasn't with a girl,” chuckled Noctis.

“What are you talking abou- Wait, no! That didn't count!”

Noctis laughed while Prompto was left to his thoughts.

After a few seconds, Prompto came to a realization. “Oh my gods! I'm a child molester!”

Noctis and Gladio burst out laughing while Ignis shook his head and chuckled. Sora looked at the four males in utter confusion.

“Dude, I'm pretty sure it doesn't make you a child molester if you were doing it to save his life,” Noctis said as he was still laughing.

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Sora.

“Ugh!” Prompto covered his red face with his hands.

Since Gladio and Noctis were too busy laughing, and Prompto was too embarrassed to speak, Ignis decided that he, unfortunately, would have to answer Sora's question.

“Well, when Prompto found you last night, you had fallen into a lake. When he took you out of the water, you weren't breathing, so he had to help you breathe.”

“So what? Did he use magic?”

“No, no. He provided mouth to mouth resuscitation.”

Sora's eyes went wide and he gaped at Ignis. “So my first kiss was with a guy?!”

Prompto groaned and wished he were anywhere else but here.

“Technically, it wasn't a-”

“Oh my gosh! And it's not even a guy that's around my age! Oh my gosh!” Sora interrupted Ignis.

“How old are you?” asked Ignis.

“I'm 15.”

“Oh my gods! It totally counts as child molestation!” yelled Prompto.

“Wait a minute, how old are you guys?” asked Sora.

Noctis and Gladio had finally calmed down. “I'm 23, Iggy's 22, and Noct and Prompto here are 20,” answered Gladio.

“Oh my gosh!” Sora put his hands to his head.

Apparently, Noctis still found this somewhat amusing and was laughing quietly to himself.

“I'm gonna kill you Noct!” yelled Prompto as he jumped out of his chair, abandoned his breakfast, and tackled a laughing Noctis to the ground.

Ignis watched the two 'children' on the floor. Prompto had straddled Noctis and pinned him to the floor.

“So watcha gonna do tough guy?” asked Noctis in a sardonic tone.

“I'm gonna torture you,” answered the blonde.

“And how are you gonna do that?”

“By doing the one thing you hate the most.”

Noctis' eyes went wide. “Oh hell n-”

Prompto began to tickle Noctis. The raven haired male giggled uncontrollably.

“Prom! S- stop! Pl- please!” begged the prince.

“No! You must be punished!” retorted the blonde with a smile on his face.

Eventually, Noctis managed to flip them over so he was on top of the blonde. He gave his friend an evil smile and tickled him.

“No- Noct! Stop it!”

Ignis watched as the two rolled on the floor, fighting for dominance in their tickle fight, while Sora just stared at the two with a small smile on his face. Gladio chuckled, shook his head, and got up from his chair to clean up after himself.

Ignis looked to Sora. “So Sora, would you be able to-”

“Crap!”

“Fuck!”

Ignis was interrupted by a certain prince and his chocobo haired friend yelling out profanities. Ignis and Sora looked to where Noctis and Prompto had been fighting, but did not see any sign of them. They got up from their chairs and walked to the edge of the haven and looked down to find the two at the bottom, limbs tangled, and groaning in pain. Sora burst out laughing and Ignis could not help but join in too. Gladio ran to the edge and jumped off.

“Oomph!”

Gladio had landed on both boys, but mostly on Prompto.

“Gladio, you're killing Prompto!” Noctis said in strangled voice.

Ignis put a hand on Sora's back and guided him away from the chaos. “Well Sora, it seems like you and I are the only two adults here,” Ignis chuckled.

Sora laughed. “Donald would not agree with you.”

“Donald?”

“Yeah. He's my friend and part of my team. He's usually the one that tries to keep me from doing something stupid, kinda like you.”

“I guess so.”

“And Goofy, he's always there to protect us no matter what, like Gladio,” Sora cast his eyes down. “I hope they're okay.”

Ignis put his hand on Sora's shoulder to comfort the boy. “If they are anything like you described them to be, than I am most definitely certain that they are fine.”

Sora looked up at Ignis and gave him a small smile.

“Thanks Ignis.”

“Of course.” Ignis smiled back.

Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto were making their way back up the haven when Ignis and Sora finished their conversation. Gladio was smirking while the other two males were pouting. Noctis and Prompto had dirt on their clothes and in their hair. Gladio on the other hand, looked pretty clean.

“Did you have fun?”Ignis asked cynically.

“Shut up Specs,” responded the prince.

Prompto and Noctis made their way into the tent while Gladio stayed outside with Sora and Ignis.

“Was it really necessary to crush them with your weight Gladio?”

“Yeah. How else were they gonna stop fighting?”

“Stopga?” suggested Sora.

“Excuse me?” asked Ignis.

“Stopga. It's a type of magic spell that can stop time for people or creatures.”

Sora pointed his keyblade at a passing butterfly. “Stopga!” The butterfly had completely stopped flapping its wings and stayed in the air, not moving at all.

“This is incredible,” said Ignis.

“It's awesome,” commented Gladio.

Sora pointed his keyblade at the butterfly again and it proceeded to fly past them.

“Noct!”

The three turned toward the tent to see Noctis, only in his pants, fall out on his back laughing. Prompto got out of the tent, only wearing pants as well, holding his shirt in one hand and pointing an accusing finger at the prince.

“You're evil!” said the blonde. He looked at Gladio, Ignis and Sora. “He's evil, evil I tell you!”

He then stomped back into the tent.

“So, what'd you guys do in there?” asked Gladio suggestively.

“Just tickling the nerd as payback,” responded Noctis as he started to get up.

“I bet you'd like to tickle his-”

“Alright Gladio! Enough!” Ignis said as he covered the shield's mouth. “There are children present.”

“Hey!” Sora looked offended.

Noctis, completely clueless as to what Gladio was suggesting, raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and tried to go back in the tent.

“Nah uh! You wait out there!” yelled the blonde from inside the tent.

Noctis rolled his eyes and sat in one of the camping chairs. Sora sat down next to the prince.

“So Prompto's your best friend huh?” asked the brown haired boy.

“Yep. One and only,” responded Noctis. “What about you? You have one?”

“Yeah. His name's Riku. We grew up on the islands together and have stuck together ever since.”

“Good. You guys just keep sticking together, all right kid?”

“Of course!”

“Cause sometimes- sometimes, he's all you got.” Noctis looked out into the distance. Sora seemed to understand that Noctis was having some sort of moment.

“I believe we should be leaving soon. Sora, would you care to accompany us?”

“Yeah, thanks!” Sora told Ignis.

Prompto came out of the tent dressed in his casual clothes. He looked at his best friend, who was still lost in thought. “Future King of Lucis my ass!” Prompto said jokingly.

At hearing his best friend's voice, Noctis was brought back to reality. “Your ass is gonna be the future King of Lucis?” asked Noctis teasingly with a smirk on his face.

Prompto squinted at the prince. “Just go get dressed.”

Noctis laughed and made his way to the tent to change into some clean clothes.

“Wait a minute, future King of Lucis?!” asked Sora, surprise all over his face. “So he's a prince?!”

“Yep,” answered Prompto.

“What is a prince doing camping with his friends?”

“His Highness is on his way to Altissia to marry Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret in order to bring peace between Lucis and The Empire. As his adviser, I must accompany him and as his shield, Gladio must protect Noct on his journey.”

“What about Prompto?”

“Once Prompto discovered that Noct was going to Altissia, he insisted that he join the Crownsguard to be at Noct's side.”

Prompto blushed and cast his glance to the floor. “Well, someone's gotta keep Noct from becoming like Ignis.”

Ignis glared at the blonde, then adjusted his glasses. “And you have done a fine job at that.”

Prompto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “So Sora, a...about the whole CPR thing...”

“Don't worry, it's alright. You did it to save me, so thanks.” Sora smiled at the blonde to try and ease his nervousness. “And plus, at least you're not ugly.” Sora playfully winked at the blonde.

Laughter came from the tent. “Ugh, why is my job so hard?” asked Prompto.

Ignis chuckled. “I daresay Prompto, you probably have the hardest job out of all of us.”

 

* * *

 

“Prompto, would you please pass me an Ebony?”

“Sure Iggy.” The blonde passed a can to the adviser from the backseat.

“Thank you,” Ignis said as he grabbed the caffeinated drink and took a sip.

“What's an Ebony?” asked Sora, who was sitting in between Prompto and Gladio.

“It's coffee which Ignis can't live without,” Noctis responded from the passenger seat.

“Ohhhhhhh.”

“So Sora, mind telling us how you got here?” piped in Gladio.

“Well, I'm not too sure what happened but I'll explain the best I can,” answered the young boy. “I was with my friends, Donald and Goofy, in the Gummi Ship. The Gummi Ship is what we use to go to different worlds. Anyway, we had the ship on auto-pilot and everything was okay until these big cargo-like ships started attacking us. We tried to fight back but eventually, the ships were able to board us. There were so many of them and they were carrying heartless. These weren't your ordinary heartless though. These looked human-like but at the same time, they didn't. There were way too many heartless...and...and I think there was an explosion. Next thing I know, I'm waking up to Prompto falling on top of me.”

“Heartless?” asked Prompto.

“Yeah, they're created when a heart succumbs to darkness or when someone loses their heart.”

“Someone can lose their heart?” asked the prince.

“Yeah, it happens way more than you think, unfortunately.” Sora cast his eyes down and rubbed his arm.

“What do these heartless look like?” asked Ignis.

“They look-” Sora was interrupted by the sudden screeching of tires against asphalt. Ignis had suddenly stopped the car in order to avoid crashing into black creatures that had appeared on the road. They were the same ones that Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio had fought the previous day.

“Like that!” finished Sora.

Everyone quickly got out of the Regalia and summoned their weapons. As Sora summoned his weapon, the keyblade, heartless around them hesitated a little to get closer to the group.

“Interesting,” said Ignis, “They seem to fear that blade of yours.”

“The heartless may have great fear of the keyblade, but that won't stop them from attacking us. As long as we have hearts, especially strong hearts, they'll do anything to make sure they get them,” said Sora.

Prompto gulped and clutched at his chest. He imagined one of those creatures ripping out his heart from his chest, blood pouring out of the wound, and leaving him to bleed out on the ground. “Well, uh, we wouldn't want that huh?” Prompto said in what he hoped was a joking manner.

Sora ran up to the heartless in front of him and destroyed them with a few swipes of his keyblade. That seemed to have brought the other heartless back to their senses for they all charged at the group. Gladio brought up his shield as some of the creatures tried to pounce on him. Ignis used his lance to fend off the heartless. Noctis warped behind the creatures and attacked them in their blind spot. Prompto made sure to maintain some distance from the creatures in order to have better aim with his gun.

Eventually, there were fewer and fewer heartless but that was because they were all heading in Prompto's direction. Prompto, who was busy fighting off a couple of the creatures, was not aware of this.

“Prompto!” yelled out Noctis.

“What?” Prompto turned around but he was too late. Many heartless jumped on him and tackled him to the ground. He was completely buried underneath the dark creatures.

“Hang on Prompto!” Sora yelled as he ran to the now buried blonde.

Sora held the keyblade up to the sky and cast magnega. In no time, the heartless were in the air, swirling around the spell that Sora had just cast. Gladio and Ignis wasted no time in attacking the defenseless creatures while Noctis knelt at Prompto's side.

The blonde was on the ground, unconscious, all scratched and bruised up. Noctis moved Prompto's bangs out of his face and felt for a pulse. The prince found one, but it was slow.

“Don't worry Prom,” Noctis whispered, “I'll get you somewhere safe. You're gonna be fine.”

Sora, Ignis, and Gladio approached the pair. The group of heartless had been wiped out and it didn't seem that anymore would be appearing. Noctis looked to Ignis.

“Do we have anymore phoenix downs?”

“I am afraid that we used the last of them a couple of days ago,” the adviser replied.

“Damn it!”

“Don't worry Noctis. I can help,” assured Sora.

“What do you mean?” asked Noctis, concern all over his face.

Sora pointed his keyblade at Prompto's limp form and cast curaga on him. In a matter of seconds, the blonde opened his eyes.

“Did they take my heart?” asked Prompto.

Noctis couldn't help but chuckle. “No you dork. Your heart is still intact.”

“Yep,” said Sora. “If they would've taken your heart, you would have been a heartless right now.”

“Oh, good to know,” chuckled Prompto.

Noctis helped Prompto stand up. Surprisingly, the blonde didn't need that much help to get up.

“Had to use another phoenix down on me huh?” asked an embarrassed Prompto.

“Nope, didn't have any,” answered Gladio.

“What? So then, how'd you guys wake me up?”

“It was Sora,” replied Ignis. “He cast a healing spell on you.”

“Wow, thanks Sora.”

“It's the least I could do,” said Sora.

“I must say, that blade of yours is quite remarkable,” commented Ignis.

“The keyblade? Yeah, it is pretty great. Besides being able to fight off heartless and cast magic, the keyblade can also unlock people's hearts, gateways to other worlds, and pretty much any door.”

“So it's a-”

“Don't say it Prompto!” Noctis interrupted Prompto.

“A magical key that can unlock any door?” Prompto finished with a smirk.

“Um, yeah, I guess,” chuckled Sora.

“Don't indulge him!” said Noctis.

Everyone, including Noctis, laughed at the little joke. Once the laughter died down, Prompto decided to ask the question that was lingering in his mind.

“So, why did the heartless leave you guys and attack me only?” Prompto paused and then looked crestfallen. “It's cause I'm the weakest huh? They wanted to attack the weakest, most vulnerable person, and that's me.”

“Don't you dare say that!” Noctis said as he put a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

“Prompto, the heartless don't go after the weakest people. They go after people with strong hearts,” explained Sora.

“If that's true, why didn't it go after Noct?” asked the blonde.

“Prom, I'm pretty sure you have a stronger heart than me,” Noctis smiled.

Prompto looked at his friend, surprised. “But Noct-”

“Just listen. You're one of the strongest people I've ever known. Yeah, you're fighting may not be perfect, but that doesn't mean you're not strong. You've faced quite a few battles, seen a lot of ugly, and despite all that, you still manage to keep a smile on your face, as well as ours. That's something I know I wouldn't be able to do. Honestly, that's one of the reasons why I look up to you.”

Prompto looked at the prince. “You...you look up to me?”

Noctis nodded, smile never wavering. “Of course I do. I've always wanted to be more carefree and outgoing, kind and cheerful, excitable and funny, like you,” Noctis said as red started to tint his cheeks.

Prompto looked away, for his face was turning red too, and he didn't want anyone to see.

“You are the heart of this group after all Prompto,” said Ignis.

“Gotta agree with Iggy on that one,” said Gladio. “Sure, part of a warrior's strength comes from their combat skills, but most of it comes from their heart.”

Prompto looked up and smiled at his friends with watery eyes.

“Awwww, looks like you could use a hug!” Sora exclaimed and ran to Prompto and wrapped his arms around him.

Prompto laughed and returned the hug. A few seconds later, the blonde was being attacked with hugs from Gladio, Noctis, and Ignis.

It was at this moment that Prompto felt at home, felt safe, felt like everything was going to be alright. This is where he belonged.

After all, if his best friend, the Prince of Lucis, claimed that he was doing okay, then it had to be true, which meant that Prompto had to believe it.

 

 

 

 


	4. That's What Friends Are For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: l-curasha-l
> 
> Happy Labor Day everyone!

_“Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away.”_

\- Kairi's Grandmother, Kingdom Hearts

 

Sora thought he had seen it all already. He'd been a merman, a lion, faced a giant three-headed dog, met the ruler of the Underworld, and even became friends with a talking skeleton. Never, in all his experiences, had he ever thought that he'd have to drive a car.

“Just relax Sora,” the raven sitting in the passenger seat said.

“Just sit back, relax, and place your hands on the wheel,” said the blonde who was sitting behind him.

Sora gave the males a quizzical look. “Ummm, are you sure you want me to drive this? The first time I tried to pilot the Gummi Ship, I crashed into another world and Donald wouldn't even talk to me.”

“Wait, wha-”

“Of course we're sure,” Noctis interrupted. “I started learning how to drive when I was your age so you should be fine.”

“Ummm, okay,” Sora agreed, still unsure if this was such a good idea.

“You know what Noct, I actually think that Ignis and Gladio might need help with the shopping,” Prompto lied.

“Oh no, you're staying in this car,” demanded the prince.

“Why?” whined the blonde.

“Because if I die, you're dying with me.”

“How is that supposed to make me feel better?!” exclaimed Sora.

“I'm just joking,” assured the raven.

Sora didn't believe that he was but he didn't bothering pointing it out. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the steering wheel. He was scared, really scared. Sure, flying the Gummi Ship was one thing, but there weren't any rules to follow. There were no signs that told you how fast to go. You didn't have to stay on a certain side to avoid crashing into other vehicles.

Yep, Sora did not feel confident about this.

“Alright Sora, now just press down on the gas-”

Before Noctis could finish his sentence, the teen had slammed down on the gas pedal and launched the Regalia at full speed.

“Holy shit!” yelled Prompto as he held onto the back of Sora's seat for dear life.

Noctis held onto the door and the side of Sora's seat. He was already regretting his decision to teach the boy how to drive.

“Sora! Press down on the other pedal!” yelled out Noctis.

Sora slammed on the brakes which caused the tires to screech against the road. Prompto was pushed up against the back of Sora's seat while Noctis slammed his head on the dashboard.

“Crap!” Noctis exclaimed as he sat back up and touched his forehead.

“Oh my gosh Noctis! I'm so sorry!” apologized the brown haired boy as he reached a hand out to the prince.

“It's alright, I'm fine,” the raven assured the teen, even though he was in excruciating pain at the moment. “Prompto, you alright?”

Noctis got no response, however he did hear the back door being opened. Noctis turned around to see the blonde running out of the car, to the grass, and throwing up.

“Oh gosh, did I do that?” asked Sora worriedly.

“He has a sensitive stomach,” was all Noctis provided as a response as he got out of the car and walked to the blonde who was now dry-heaving.

The prince rubbed the blonde's back. “You okay?”

After a few seconds of Prompto breathing heavily, he nodded. “Yeah, thanks buddy.”

Noctis helped Prompto stand up properly and the pair headed back to the Regalia. Once they got to the car, they noticed that Sora was sitting in the back seat.

“Hey Sora, you alright?” asked Prompto.

“I should be asking you that,” answered the brunette glumly.

“Hey, no sweat. It happens more than you think,” chuckled the blonde.

As Noctis got in the driver's seat, he suggested to the teen, “Why don't you come sit up front? That way you can learn by observing.”

“No, I think I'll just sit back here,” responded the teen.

Noctis and Prompto looked at the young boy with concern. He was leaning back in his seat, staring at the floor of the car, while playing with the chain hanging around his neck. It was obvious that the boy was troubled.

Prompto took his place in the car next to Noctis. The raven drove the car back to the gas station where Ignis and Gladio were at.

Once they got there, Noctis saw that his adviser had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot impatiently. Yep, he looked pretty mad. Gladio didn't look any better either. He was carrying a bag of groceries, looking annoyed.

“Where the hell were you?” growled the shield as the prince pulled up next to the pair.

“We just went for a drive,” shrugged the raven.

“Just went for a drive?”

“Yeah.”

Gladio looked at Noctis suspiciously. Technically, he wasn't lying to his shield. He just wasn't telling him everything.

“You know you can't leave without telling us first Noct,” said Ignis.

“I know Specs. I'm not a little kid,” the prince said in an annoyed tone.

“Well you better stop acting like one.”

Surprisingly, it was not Noctis that flinched at the adviser's words, but Sora. Ignis and Gladio sat in the back seat with Sora, still irritated at Noctis' behavior.

An hour passed by as the group was driving aimlessly on the road in silence. It was tense, it was uncomfortable, and it was driving Prompto absolutely crazy. He decided that he needed to at least point out that they should stop somewhere to rest.

“Hey, uh, guys? It's getting late. Don't cha think we should stop somewhere for the night?”

“Sure. Just stop at the next haven you see,” answered Gladio.

“We are not-”

“Going to argue with you on that one!” Prompto interrupted the raven as he covered his mouth before he could protest anymore. He gave his best friend a pleading look and received the royal eye roll. He removed his hand from Noctis' mouth and looked at Sora. The boy had fallen asleep and was leaning on Gladio's arm. Gladio on the other hand didn't seem to mind at all. Prompto smiled. The tough guy was always a softy when it came to kids.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Sora, wake up.”

The brunette woke up from his nap, rubbed his eyes, stretched his arms above his head, and yawned. His vision was a little blurry from having just woken up, but he could make out the outline of a face with blonde hair on top.

“Hey buddy,” the blonde smiled. “You fell asleep in the car. Gladio set up the tent but I'm pretty sure that Ignis won't let you crash until you eat something.”

Sora nodded with half lidded eyes and got out of the car. He stumbled a little but Prompto made sure that the teen didn't fall. As they got to the camp, Prompto found it necessary to announce their arrival.

“Hey guys! Look who finally woke up!”

Gladio looked up from his book. “Hope my arm was comfortable enough,” teased the shield.

“Hehe, sorry about that,” said an embarrassed Sora.

“No worries.”

Noctis walked up to Sora and asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm okay.” Noctis didn't believe the teen was telling the truth but didn't push for it.

“I hope you like vegetable soup,” said Ignis as he was busy stirring said soup in a giant pot.

“Ugh.”

Sora laughed at the raven's reaction. “Don't worry. I'll pretty much eat anything. I don't mind.”

“Good. If only Noctis had your eating habits,” responded the cook.

Noctis scoffed at his adviser's words. “So this is my punishment. I was wondering what you were gonna come up with.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about. I am not a cruel person Your Highness.”

Noctis couldn't help but chuckle. “Right. Well played.”

“But it wasn't his fault!” blurted out Sora.

Everyone turned to look at the keyblade wielder. “What's not his fault?” asked Gladio, abandoning his book.

“Taking the car. He just wanted to show me how to drive, that's all,” mumbled the teen.

Noctis smiled at the boy, touched that he was trying to defend him. “Sora, at the end, it was me, and only me that made the decision to take you driving. In the end, I still took the car and left Specs and Gladio with no clue where we were.”

“But...I just don't want you guys to fight cause of me.”

Prompto chuckled. “Sora, we always have our disagreements here and there, but that doesn't mean it'll drive us apart.”

“As you said before, our hearts are connected. Therefore, I believe that nothing can get in between us,” piped in Ignis as he began pouring soup into bowls.

At that comment, Sora smiled brightly which, in turn, made the others smile too. There was just something about the young teen that made the others feel happy and, well, warm. It was as if wherever Sora went, the atmosphere around became light and joyful.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that Sora was more of a kid than the others ever were.

Once Ignis had finished serving the soup, everyone grabbed a bowl and sat in a camping chair. Prompto gave his chair to Sora and sat on the floor next to Noctis.

“Wow Ignis, this is amazing! Thanks a lot!” Sora said as he put another spoonful of soup into his mouth.

“My pleasure,” responded Ignis as a small smile spread on his face.

“Iggy is the best cook you'll ever come across,” said Gladio.

Noctis noticed that Ignis, Gladio, and Sora were immersed in their conversation so he took this as an opportunity to get rid of his vegetables.

“Hey Prom, is that a chocobo?” Noctis asked as he pointed to the forest.

“Huh? Where?” the blonde asked, turning his head in the direction Noctis had pointed at.

As the blonde was distracted, Noctis poured half of his soup into Prompto's bowl.

“Dude, I don't see anything. Chocobos shouldn't even be out at this time of night,” Prompto said as he turned back to his best friend.

Noctis shrugged. “Probably was a daemon or something then.”

As Prompto was about to continue eating his dinner, he noticed that his bowl had significantly more soup than before. He looked at Noctis' bowl and saw that there was very little soup in his bowl, less than half actually. The blonde squinted at his friend and the raven just raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“I'm surprised Noctis. You've basically eaten all of your food,” commented Ignis, “And you Prompto, have barely touched yours.”

“You know how I am Ignis, always eating slowly and enjoying the food,” Prompto said as he glared at the prince.

“Well, since you are almost finished Noctis, you can have seconds.”

“No I'm fi-”

“But I insist,” Ignis interrupted the prince as he grabbed his bowl and poured more soup from the pot into it. He gave Noctis back his bowl and sat down.

Ignis was anything but stupid. He knew what Noctis did and he wasn't going to let him get away with it. He held in a chuckle as he watched Prompto give Noctis a smirk. Noctis was not amused so he just grumbled.

“So Sora, what do you usually eat back home?” asked Gladio.

“Well, since I live at the islands, my meals usually consist of a lot of seafood, but I don't mind. I actually love seafood,” answered the teen.

“Then you would love Gualdin Quay.”

“Golden Key?” asked a confused Sora.

“Gualdin Key,” corrected Ignis, “It's a resort that has a hotel, spa, and restaurant which is well known for it's seafood dishes.”

“Don't forget the fishing!” piped in Noctis.

At this, Sora's eyes lit up. “Fishing?!”

“Gualdin Quay is an ordeal place to fish, yes,” said Ignis.

“You fish?” asked Gladio.

Sora nodded. “Back at the islands, Riku and I would fish a lot. At first we tried to use these makeshift rods we made but then we got frustrated and used our hands to catch the fish.”

Gladio looked impressed. “Gotta be quick to catch fish with your bare hands.”

“It gets easier the more you do it.”

“Hey, maybe Noct can teach you how to fish with a rod and you could teach him how to catch fish with your hands!” suggested Prompto.

“That sounds great! I mean if Noctis is up to it,” responded the teen.

“Sure, I'm game,” replied the prince.

“Have no fear Sora. We'll be sure to take you to Gualdin Quay before we leave to Altissia,” the adviser said.

“Thanks Ignis, and thank you again for the meal,” said Sora.

“You're very welcome.”

“Oh, looks like Sora's finished. I'll just help clean up then,” said the raven as he started to lift himself from his chair.

“Not so fast,” said Ignis, “Sora is more than capable of doing that himself. Why don't you just sit back down and finish your soup?”

“Ugh! Why did the gods create vegetables in the first place?”

  

* * *

 

Everyone had finished their food and was starting to get ready to go to sleep. Once they started taking out their sleeping bags however, they realized there were now five of them and only four sleeping bags.

“Seems like we have a predicament here,” said Ignis. “Noctis! Prompto! Why don't one of you give Sora your sleeping bag and you two can share one?”

“Awwww, why?” complained the prince.

“Because I highly doubt that either me or Gladio can fit another body in our sleeping bags.”

“But you don't understand! Have you ever slept with Prompto?!”

“Hey!” exclaimed the blonde.

“What's wrong with sleeping with him?” asked a curious Sora.

“He takes up the whole bed and constantly slaps me in the face with his arm, kicks me, and hogs all the blankets. I've fallen off the bed cause of you!” Noctis pointed an accusing finger at the blonde.

“Not my fault I'm a restless sleeper,” defended Prompto. “And plus, this is a sleeping bag so I won't be able to move around that much. Stop your whining Princess.”

“The hell did you just call me?”

Prompto laughed and headed toward the tent. “You can use my sleeping bag Sora since his Royal Highness here can't afford to give up his.”

Noctis crossed his arms and pouted and Prompto went inside the tent. Ignis and Gladio followed swiftly. It was just Noctis and Sora left outside now.

“Wanna talk?” asked the raven.

“Huh?” Sora looked around thinking that maybe Noctis was referring to one of the others until he realized he was the only one out here with the prince. “About what?”

“You tell me,” Noctis said as he sat at the edge of the haven, legs dangling from the side.

“Ummm-”

“Seems like something's been bugging you. Is it cause of the car? We already told you not to worry about it. It's no big deal.”

“It's not about the car,” Sora finally said.

“Then what's on your mind?”

Sora sat down next to the prince. “It's just, seeing you guys look out for each other, even have arguments just cause you're worried about each other, reminds me that my friends are out there somewhere, and I have no idea what's happened to them.”

Sora looked down at the grass below his dangling feet. “Donald and Goofy could be in a lot of trouble. And Riku...” Sora paused and took a deep breath.

“And Riku?” Noctis asked, encouraging Sora to go on.

Sora released the breath. “They...they...” At long last, Sora couldn't hold it in any longer and he burst into tears. He sobbed and hiccuped, too stressed and worried to talk. Noctis scooted next to the teen and put an arm around him, rubbing his upper arm in a comforting gesture. Eventually, Sora buried his face in Noctis' chest and sobbed. Although the raven was surprised at first, he adjusted his position so that he had one arm wrapped around the teen and was running his other hand through his brown spiky locks.

“Shhhh, it's okay. Just let it all out,” said the raven in a soft voice.

The teen heaved as he grabbed fistfuls of Noctis' shirt, just to have something to hold onto. Noctis continued to comfort the boy until his sobs became slower and quieter. Eventually, Sora lifted himself off of the prince and went back into his previous sitting position.

“Sorry,” said Sora as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. After a few minutes of Sora regaining his breath, he continued his previous thought. “When the Gummi Ship got boarded, the weird heartless were able to get Riku and...and they did something to him.”

“What'd they do, Sora?” asked the prince.

Sora looked up at the raven. “They injected him with something and he was screaming. Next thing I know, he's having a spasm on the floor. This sort of darkness started surrounding him and when it was gone, what I saw, well, wasn't Riku anymore.”

Noctis gave Sora time to regain his composure again for the teen almost broke down again. Sora was able to hold back the tears.

“I saw something that looked like Riku. It was definitely his body and his face, but different. Part of his body was covered in like, black goo, even his face. His eyes were the most terrible part though. I looked in them and saw nothing. No life, no sign of Riku. They were just black, empty. That weird black goo was dripping down from his eyes and his mouth.”

Noctis was shocked at what Sora just told him, mostly because he had an idea of what his friend might have become, but he didn't want to worry the teen right now with that information. Instead, he just asked, “So why did you tell us that it was only you, Donald, and Goofy on the ship? You never mentioned Riku.”

“Cause talking about Riku is hard enough already with just one person. I didn't wanna worry all of you with my problems.”

Noctis wanted to say something to comfort Sora on that matter but didn't know what. After all, he'd been in that same situation many times before, having problems and not wanting to discuss them because he didn't want to be a burden to anyone.

Sora covered his mouth in order to prevent a sob. He shook his head and took in a deep breath. “I have no idea if he's still alive. All I know is that I can't lose him again.”

“Again?” asked Noctis.

“I almost lost Riku once, I'm not gonna let that happen again this time around,” Sora said determined.

Noctis let a small smile form and patted Sora on the back. “That's the spirit. And don't worry Sora, we'll help you find your friends. You're not alone in this.” Noctis stood up and Sora did the same.

“Thank you Noct. I mean Noctis!”

Noctis chuckled. “We're friends aren't we?”

“Yeah.”

“So, my friends usually call me Noct,” smiled the raven.

Sora walked up to Noctis and hugged him. Noctis returned the gesture. Usually, hugging wasn't something he did, but with Sora, it felt okay. When he hugged Prompto though, it was different. He felt something that he had never felt before, but he didn't know what it was.

It was probably nothing and he was just overthinking things.

Eventually, the two broke away from the hug. “C'mon Sora. We should be getting some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow after all.”

“Alright, Noct.”

 


	5. Don't Worry About Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I've been extremely stressed out with work, school, and a recent family death. But now I'm back and better and ready to write!
> 
> So this chapter was inspired by a beautiful song called "Don't Worry About Me" by Frances. I think it perfectly describes Prompto's relationship with Noctis. I recommend you guys listen to it. It will give you feels.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

“ _Even if we get scared, or in trouble---or even if we get separated---”_

 

“ _Or even if we sorta forget each other---”_

 

“ _Whatever happens---we're friends.”_

 

                                                - Donald to Goofy to Sora, Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ _Poor little prince.”_

 

“ _Who's there?”_

 

_Noctis looked around for the origin of the voice but saw nothing. All he saw was darkness. It was pitch black where he was._

 

_And he was scared._

 

_A mischievous laugh filled the void that the raven was in. It shook him to the core, he didn't know why, but something just told him that that laugh was bad news._

 

“ _You have no idea what's coming.”_

 

“ _What?! What's coming?!” asked the prince._

 

“ _All in due time, Highness.”_

 

_Noctis frantically looked around for any sign of life. As much as he looked though, there was no one else here but him._

 

“ _Just keep that bright heart safe for us.”_

 

“ _Us?! Who is us?! And you're never getting near my heart!”_

 

_A chuckle emitted through the dark space. “If only you knew.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noctis was sweating, like a lot. Yes, he had a nightmare, but the amount of sweat that was coming out of his body was not just from that. He realized that he was warm, very warm. To be more accurate, he was pressed up against something that was very warm.

 

It felt nice though. Noctis buried his face into the warm material. It smelled nice too. He bunched up some of the material in one hand and realized that it was thin and made out of some sort of cloth. It seemed to be attached to something...

 

Or someone.

 

Noctis' eyes opened in sudden realization at the source of his warmth. He looked at the white t-shirt he was clutching onto. Then, he looked up at the face of the person wearing said shirt.

 

Unfortunately, Prompto was an early bird.

 

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty,” greeted the blonde as he focused on the phone in his hand. His other arm was under his head, being used as a sort of pillow.

 

Noctis pushed himself away from Prompto, which wasn't too far since he was confined in the same sleeping bag as him, and rubbed his tired eyes.

 

“Dude, what the hell?”

 

“What?” asked Prompto confused.

 

“You were completely in my personal bubble.”

 

“Okay, first of all, when you sleep in the same sleeping bag with someone else, you don't have a personal bubble anymore. Second, you were the one that just started cuddling into my chest. And third, I didn't move you cause you seemed so comfortable and no one likes a cranky Noctis in the morning.”

 

Noctis opened his mouth to protest but no words came out. _He_ had been the one to get that close to Prompto? He had never been a cuddler, never wanted to cuddle someone, so why was he cuddling Prompto in his sleep?

 

_It was probably just cause I was having a nightmare and needed some comfort, that's all._

 

“Sorry,” apologized an embarrassed Noctis.

 

“No biggie. You seemed a little shaken up anyway. Bad dream?”

 

“You could say that.”

 

“Even though I know what you're gonna say, I'm still gonna ask. Wanna talk about it?”

 

Noctis considered this question for a moment. Of course, his usual response would either be “no” or just not to answer at all, and that was an answer in itself. But ever since his talk with Sora, and how the boy had reminded him of himself when it came to dealing with his own problems, well, Noctis realized that he had to stop being so emotionally constipated all the time.

 

With a sigh, Noctis relented. “I don't really understand it myself but, it got me feeling...scared.” Noctis blushed out of embarrassment from admitting that a little nightmare could frighten him.

 

Prompto looked at him, silently encouraging him to go on, letting him know that he wasn't judging him at all.

 

“It was pitch black,” Noctis continued. “I was just in darkness. No one else was there with me physically, but there was a voice. It was really creepy and chilling to the bone.”

 

“What did the voice say, Noct?” the blonde asked, concern lacing his tone.

 

Noctis shivered. “It said to...to keep that bright heart safe for them...my heart.”

 

“Them?”

 

“I don't know who 'they' are but, I know one thing for sure. They're not getting my heart.”

 

“That's the spirit Noct! And don't worry, we all have your back!”

 

Noctis smiled and reached out to brush Prompto's bangs out of his face. He hesitated a little at first, but then continued with the gesture.

 

_It's not weird, right? We're best friends. This is what best friends do._

 

“It's just, the voice sounded so sure. It seemed like it was certain that it would eventually get my heart, one way or another. Just the thought of that happening, is terrifying.”

 

Prompto frowned. “Noct, no one is going to lay a finger on your heart.”

 

“That thought isn't what scares me the most.”

 

Prompto stayed silent, waiting for Noctis to explain.

 

“What scares me is what 'they' are willing to do to get it. I don't want anyone getting hurt cause of me, especially you guys...especially...you.”

 

Prompto's breath caught in his throat. All he could do was stare at his best friend. Noctis was worried about him? Why?

 

“I'm the one that has to worry about your safety Noct, not the other way around,” Prompto said with a light chuckle.

 

Noctis let a small smile grace his lips. “You're my best friend Prom, my brother. I don't know what I'd do if anything bad happened to you.”

 

Prompto scooted closer to the prince, in the sleeping bag, and tentatively wrapped his arms around the raven. Noctis' heart sped up a little at the contact. He could've sworn that if his heart beat any faster, the blonde would be able to feel it against his chest.

 

The prince returned the hug and let his head rest atop Prompto's shoulder.

 

_Yep. This is totally normal stuff that best friends do._

 

After a few minutes, both boys pulled back just a little bit from the embrace, and just looked at each other.

 

Noctis was so close to Prompto that he could probably count the freckles coating the blonde's face. He was so close, he could probably kiss each beautiful freckle...

 

_Whoah, okay, I must be really tired._

 

Prompto on the other hand was busy studying the prince's face, from his gorgeous cerulean eyes to his beautiful perfect lips. If he just leaned in a little closer...

 

_Aw shit._

 

It was at this moment that Prompto came to a sudden realization while Noctis, who could have discovered a new revelation about himself, was too busy trying to convince himself otherwise.

 

After studying the details of each other's faces, both males settled on staring into each other's eyes, for eyes were the gateway to the soul, and maybe they would be able to tell them a thing or two about the other that they didn't know yet.

 

Maybe it would give Prompto some sort of answer he was looking for, or maybe it would help Noctis discover something that he had been trying to hide.

 

They might have found some sort of answers if it weren't for the sudden booming voice interrupting them.

 

“Rise and shine!”

 

Both boys jumped and frantically tried to get away from each other, which was, again, difficult because of the confined space they were in.

 

Prompto got out of the sleeping bag and sat cross-legged on one corner of the tent while Noctis stayed in the sleeping bag. Gladio poked his head inside the tent.

 

“You're awake,” Gladio said to the raven.

 

“And you're annoying,” retorted the prince.

 

Prompto tried to cover up a laugh but Gladio noticed and glared at him.

 

“If you guys have been awake this whole time, why didn't you come out earlier?” asked the shield.

 

“You know Noct, always the lazy one,” chuckled Prompto.

 

“I'm not lazy, just really comfortable,” defended Noctis.

 

“Same thing.”

 

“Shut up,” the prince said playfully.

 

“Well, when you guys get dressed, get your breakfast,” said Gladio.

 

“Yes sir,” Prompto said as he did a mock salute.

 

Gladio shook his head and retreated back outside.

 

“You heard him Noct, time to get dressed,” said Prompto.

 

“Ugh, nooooo,” said the raven.

 

“C'mon,” the blonde said as he got up, walked to Noctis, and pulled him out of the sleeping bag by his arms.

 

“You ass,” said the prince.

 

“But you still love me,” Prompto said, flashing a grin.

 

Noctis rolled his eyes and looked through his bag for a change of clothes while Prompto did the same. Once Noctis found a pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and sneakers, he proceeded to change. As he was taking off his shirt, he heard a loud thump.

 

Once he removed his shirt, he looked to see that Prompto was on the floor with his sweatpants halfway down.

 

Noctis couldn't help but burst out in laughter. “Did you trip on your pants?”

 

Prompto turned his head toward his best friend and scoffed. “No. I totally planned for this to happen.” The blonde kicked off his sweatpants.

 

Noctis shook his head and walked to the blonde. He grabbed Prompto from his arms and helped him stand up.

 

“You good?”

 

“Yep, thanks to you buddy!”

 

Noctis went back to his corner of the tent and started to remove his own sweatpants. As he did this, he couldn't help but look at his best friend. He always knew that Prompto had muscle on his upper body, but now as he watched the blonde take off his shirt, muscles flexing, he realized that he was pretty built.

 

Realizing that he was staring, Noctis turned away and faced the other side of the tent.

 

Prompto, on the other hand, watched as Noctis, only in his boxer briefs, stretched. He marveled at how the raven's back muscles stood out the more he stretched. And the way his briefs clung on to his...

 

_Whoah, whoah! Slow your roll Prompto!_

 

Prompto shook his head to clear his thoughts and proceeded to change into a dark blue tank top, black jeans with skulls, and brown combat boots.

 

Once the boys finished changing, they stepped out of the tent. When they set foot outside, Sora ran up to them quickly and put a hand to each of their foreheads.

 

“You okay?” he asked worried.

 

“Yeah, why wouldn't we be?” asked Noctis, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Cause your faces are really red, so I thought you might be sick.”

 

“Wha- what?!” Prompto asked as he began touching his face.

 

Apparently, Gladio found this funny and began to laugh. Ignis looked up from his breakfast and seemed confused as to why the shield was laughing. He took a look at the raven's and blonde's faces and chuckled. He then returned to drinking his coffee.

 

“It's just hot, that's all,” Noctis shrugged.

 

“Yeah, I bet it was really hot inside,” Gladio said with a smirk. Ignis choked on his coffee.

 

“But it's not even that-”

 

“Okay, so what we doin' today Specs?” Noctis interrupted Sora.

 

“Well,” Ignis said as he composed himself from his choking fit. “We need to head to Gualdin Quay to acquire a boat to Altissia.”

 

“And how far are we from Gualdin Quay?”

 

“I'd wager it would take us about an hour and a half to get there.”

 

“Ugh,” Noctis complained as he grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs from the table. He made his way to one of the camping chairs and sat down.

 

“Hey, it won't be that boring in the car, especially now that we have Sora,” Prompto said as he grabbed his plate of eggs off the table.

 

Sora was about to sit next to Noctis on the floor when Prompto stopped him. “Oh no, you're not sitting on the floor. Use my chair.”

 

“It's fine Prompto, I've already eaten so you should sit in your chair and enjoy your breakfast,” the teen replied.

 

“Sora, if you don't sit in my chair, I swear to the gods that I will break it.”

 

“You better not you little shit!” warned Gladio.

 

“Okay, okay! Geez.” The defeated teen made his way to the chair as Prompto headed toward Noctis. The blonde made himself comfortable by sitting on the raven's lap, legs dangling off the side of the chair.

 

“Hey! What the hell Prom!?” asked a surprised Noctis.

 

“As the gentleman that I am, I gave up my chair to our new friend so therefore, the Prince of Lucis must reward me for my humbleness.”

 

“By sitting on me!?”

 

“Yep!” the blonde said with a smile as he put a forkful of eggs in his mouth.

 

Noctis grumbled as he continued to eat his breakfast.

 

“You know, I even gave up my sleeping bag so, I should be sleeping on you,” joked Prompto.

 

Noctis choked on his food at the sexual innuendo his friend accidentally made. Realizing his mistake, Prompto's eyes went wide.

 

“Dude! I didn't mean it like that!” the blonde said as he swatted the raven on the arm.

 

Noctis continued to choke and Prompto patted his back.

 

“Geez, always thinking the wrong way Noct,” Prompto laughed despite the red coating his cheeks.

 

Sora, always the innocent, didn't understand what was going on. The only thing he did understand was that Noctis and Prompto were getting closer, much closer. Sure, they were best friends, but was this stuff that best friends did together? Or was it something else entirely?

 

“...Sora. Sora!”

 

The teen was taken away from his thoughts due to a certain blonde calling his name.

 

“You okay there bud?”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” answered the brunette.

 

“Whatcha thinking about?”

 

“Hmmmm, I really don't know.”

 

“What do you mean you don't know?” asked the prince who had just recovered from his choking fit.

 

“Well, I don't know what to call it yet.”

 

“Must be something important if it's got you spacing out.”

 

“Awwww! I wanna know what it is now!” whined Prompto.

 

Sora chuckled. “Don't worry. I'll be sure to tell you what it is when I figure it out.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Are we there yet?”

 

“Well, considering the lack of ocean, beach, and I don't know, resort, it is safe to say that we are not there yet.”

 

This was the fifth time in an hour that Prompto asked Ignis that question and every time Ignis answered, he just came up with a sassier remark each time. Ignis wished that someone else was sitting in the passenger's seat for once because the blonde would not shut up. It's not that he didn't like Prompto, don't get him wrong. He considered Prompto to be one of his friends and was grateful that he was Noctis' best friend, but sometimes, he could be a little annoying. Ignis just focused on the road and tried to tune out as much of the blonde's rambling as possible.

 

Meanwhile in the backseat, Noctis was napping as usual while Gladio was teaching Sora how to play King's Knight. Sora wasn't entirely terrible at the game, but he did have a lot of trouble learning how to play, especially since he never used a cell phone or played a video game for that matter.

 

“So Ignis, why are we going to Gualdin Quay?” asked Sora. “It's not that I'm not excited, cause trust me, I am, but the way you said that one day you guys would take me there, made it seem like it would be in a while, not this quick.”

 

“Well,” the adviser responded as he adjusted his glasses with one hand, “We need to catch the boat to Altissia at Gualdin Quay. Although the boat won't be coming for another few days, I thought it best to stay at the resort in the meantime, just to relax and unwind, and of course, introduce you to the beauty of the resort as well.”

 

“Awww, you didn't have to do that,” the teen said bashfully as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Yes, I did. We are friends after all, are we not?”

 

Sora chuckled. “Yeah, yeah we are.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Woo hoo! Soft beds baby!”

 

“We've only been camping for three days Prompto,” the shield said.

 

“And that's more than enough for me,” retorted the prince.

 

“Are you kidding! I'd love to go camping more!” piped in Sora.

 

“That's it! Guys, I'm adopting Sora,” said Gladio in a playful but serious tone.

 

“You can't. He's not from this world,” said Noctis.

 

“Fine, then I'll just kidnap him,” shrugged Gladio.

 

“I'm okay with that!” Sora jumped.

 

Ignis walked back to the group with key cards in hand. “Due to insufficient funds, I was only able to procure one room for all five of us. Therefore, three will have to sleep in one bed.”

 

The prince huffed in annoyance. “How is it that I'm the Prince of Lucis and I can't even get two freakin' rooms?”

 

All four men thought about this question for a moment. “You know, for some reason, I'm getting this vibe that we shouldn't question this,” said Prompto.

 

“Yeah, true,” everyone said as they nodded their heads and proceeded to their room.

 

Once they stepped into the room, the first thing Prompto did was fall face first onto the nearest bed. Noctis crawled into the same bed the blonde was on and covered himself with the sheets.

 

“Well, it seems like his royal Highness approves of the room,” said Ignis.

 

“As long as it has a bed, he'll approve of any room,” said Gladio.

 

Sora stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do. He felt a little awkward and uncomfortable, as if he was intruding.

 

“You can sleep with us Sora!” said the blonde as he sat up.

 

“Thanks Prom,” responded Sora.

 

“You can alternate between beds so his royal Highness won't get so grumpy that he doesn't have at least half of the bed to himself,” chuckled Ignis.

 

“Hehe, alright.”

 

“So Sora, got any parents back home?” asked Gladio as he took a seat in one of the arm chairs.

 

“I've got my mom. She's not too fond that I go off to adventure to other worlds but she's understanding enough. She's just happy that I come home safe,” answered Sora.

 

“What about your dad?” asked Prompto.

 

“I never knew him,” shrugged the teen.

 

“Oh, sorry.”

 

“Don't be. As long as I have my mom, what more could I ask for?”

 

“Yep, I'm definitely adopting him now,” said Gladio.

 

“What about you guys? What are your parents like?”

 

“My dad raised me and my sister. My mom died when we were very little, don't remember much about her, but dad says she was amazing. He taught me how to be the best shield I could possibly be for Noct and he made sure that I was always taking care of Iris, my sister, since he was always working at the citadel,” explained Gladio.

 

“Your dad works in the citadel?”

 

“Yeah, he's the king's shield, Noct's dad's shield.”

 

“Whoah, that's awesome!”

 

Gladio chuckled. “Yeah, it is.”

 

“What about you Ignis?”

 

“I was raised by my uncle mostly. When I turned four, my parents sent me to Insomnia so I could begin my training to become Noctis' adviser,” answered Ignis.

 

“Wow, that young?” asked Sora bewildered.

 

“Yes, that young,” chuckled the adviser.

 

“But, you never had a childhood.”

 

“Honestly Sora, none of us really did,” said Gladio.

 

“But, what about you Prompto?” Sora turned to the blonde.

 

Prompto's eyes went wide and he started to panic. His heart was beating fast and all he wanted to do at that moment was run out of the room.

 

“Um, me?” the blonde asked as he twiddled his thumbs.

 

Sora nodded.

 

“Um, well,” Prompto began as he scratched the back of his head. “I, um...I was adopted.”

 

“How are they like, your adoptive parents, I mean?” asked the teen.

 

“They're alright. Gave me food, a roof over my head, and a warm bed to sleep in at night. They were just never around much. They were always busy working or something so I spent most of my time at home by myself.”

 

“Oh,” Sora said with a frown on his face.

 

“Sorry it wasn't as interesting as you expected.”

 

“Are you kidding? I'm just wondering how a child that grows up like that could become such a fun and cool guy like you!”

 

Prompto was taken aback by the brunette's response. He really didn't think that Sora would react this way to his depressing childhood.

 

“Strongest heart indeed,” commented Ignis.

 

A small smile spread on the blonde's face and he shook his head. “Thanks guys.”

 

“What about you Noctis?” asked Sora. When he got no response, he walked to the raven. “Noctis?” He poked the prince on the arm, but nothing.

 

“Looks like he's out cold. Don't worry, I've got this,” said Prompto as he grabbed a pillow from the bed. “Yo, Noct!” Prompto slapped the prince across the face with the pillow. The raven was up instantly, glaring at the blonde.

 

“You,” Noctis squinted his eyes.

 

“Sora was asking you a question.”

 

“Huh?” the raven turned his head to Sora who was standing next to the bed. “What is it kid?” Noctis asked as he started to pull the sheets back over his head.

 

“How are your parents like?” asked Sora.

 

Noctis pulled the covers down slowly. He sat up and looked down at his hands. “My dad has tried his best, even though he doesn't really have time cause he has to run Lucis, but I still love him and appreciate what he's done for me.”

 

“What about your mom?”

 

“My mom? My mom...she...I...I don't know,” Noctis said in a quivering voice as he suddenly got up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

 

“Noct!” Sora called out. “Oh gosh, did I say something wrong?!”

 

“His mom's a sensitive topic for him to talk about, that's all,” answered the shield.

 

“Ugh, I'm so stupid,” Sora covered his face with both hands.

 

“I should probably go check on him,” said Prompto as he made his way out of the room.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 Prompto found Noctis sitting at the pier of his favorite fishing spot on the beach. His feet were dangling off the edge, almost touching the water, and he was staring out at the sunset.

 

_Beautiful._

 

This was a picture perfect moment, but right now, as much as he wanted to snap a shot of the perfection in front of him, he knew that his friend needed him more. The blonde walked up to the prince and took a seat next to him.

 

There was silence between the two of them for a while. Prompto didn't say anything because he knew Noctis well enough that he would talk when he was ready and trying to force anything out of him would only agitate him.

 

“How's Sora?” the raven finally broke the silence,

 

“He's worried about you. We all are,” Prompto responded.

 

Neither of the two had looked at each other when they spoke. Instead, they decided to just stare at the sunset as they talked.

 

“Don't be. I'm alright.”

 

Prompto shook his head in disbelief. He knew this was a lie. After all, he had said it many times before.

 

“No, you're not, Noct. You can't lie to me. Please don't lie to me. Don't shut me out, man,” Prompto turned his head to look at the raven. He saw that there was sadness in his eyes but the rest of his expression was calm and collective.

 

_A mask._

 

Noctis sighed and looked down at the water below his feet. “Prom, please, really, I'm okay.”

 

“You may be okay, but you're not fine. What about that whole talk of trusting each other? Don't you trust me Noct?”

 

Noctis finally looked at the blonde. “You know I do.”

 

“Then why won't you tell me what's bugging you?” Prompto almost sounded desperate at this point. Almost.

 

Noctis turned to look the other way. He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “I don't know anything about my mom, Prom. Nothing.”

 

The blonde was silent and allowed Noctis to take his time.

 

“I never knew her. I never got to meet her. She died because of me. She died a short time after giving birth to me. I took her away from my dad, from Lucis,” the raven choked back a sob. “If I had never been born, she would still be alive. She would still be here.” Noctis turned to look at Prompto and what Prompto saw shocked him.

 

Noctis' eyes were watering with tears ready to fall down his cheeks at any moment. His composure was gone and he looked absolutely devastated.

 

“I killed her, Prom. I killed my mom!”

 

Noctis finally broke down sobbing and let the tears fall. The raven hugged himself, as if he could shield himself away from the world and its cruelties.

 

Prompto scooted closer to Noctis, until their thighs were touching, and pulled his best friend into a hug. Noctis instantly reciprocated it and clung onto the blonde as if he was his lifeline. He buried his face in Prompto's shoulder and sobbed into it.

 

Prompto closed his eyes as he rested his chin on Noctis' shoulder. He had never seen Noctis cry. Hell, he had never really seen Noctis sad. This was the first time he was seeing the prince in such a vulnerable state and honestly, it pained him. The blonde let a few tears of his own slide down his cheeks.

 

“Don't you dare believe that Noct,” Prompto said. “Don't you ever dare think that.”

 

“But if-if I had ne-never been born, she...she-”

 

“Would never have experienced the happiest moment of her life, and your dad would never have had you in his life,” Prompto paused for a moment. “I would never have had you in my life.” He whispered the last line as if it was meant for Noctis' ears only.

 

Noctis stilled in the blonde's arms and Prompto panicked for a second. He thought he had said the wrong thing, but that thought instantly left his mind when Noctis hugged him even tighter. His sobs began to slow down until he was taking slow deep breaths.

 

“Thanks Prom,” Noctis mumbled into his friend's shoulder. “What would I do without you?”

 

“Probably become like Ignis,” the blonde joked.

 

Noctis chuckled and slowly let go of his friend. “Seriously though, I'm lucky to have you as a friend, so thank you.”

 

“No need to thank me buddy. That's just what us best friends do.”

 

Both males stood up and began to head back to their room.

 

“You're crying,” Noctis pointed out.

 

“Huh?” the blonde touched his face and he was indeed crying. “That's weird.”

 

They both stopped on the beach. “Why are you crying?”

 

“Probably caught the feels from you,” chuckled Prompto.

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yep. Don't worry about me Noct. Don't worry about me.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until the next chapter!
> 
> Tumblr: @l-curasha-l


	6. Mad World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm alive.  
> No, I haven't forgotten about you guys! I love y'all too much!
> 
> Sorry for another really long wait. School and work are taking over my life. Good news is that the semester is over next Wednesday for me so I will have so much more time to work on this fic!
> 
> Anyway, this is a lengthy chapter, and I got my inspiration for a big part of it from the song Mad World by Gary Jules.
> 
> WARNING: There is cutting and blood throughout a part of the chapter, it starts in italics. Most of it is in a particular scene. This scene also contains kissing and implied sexual conduct between an adult and teenager. If you do not want to read this strong scene, I have labeled it with asterisks, the beginning and end of the scene, so you may skip it. 
> 
> Now I don't want y'all thinking I like this sort of sexual underage stuff, cause I don't. I believe it's disgusting and wrong but I only wrote it to set the mood of the scene. Technically, this underage sexual stuff doesn't happen in the world of the fic, only in a dream of one of the characters.
> 
> Anyway, happy reading!   
> Or not, depending how you feel after this emotional chapter.

“ _You cannot control what you're not aware of … This wakeless sleep will be your prison … to wander forever.”_

                                                                                     

                                                                                  - Young Xehanort, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sora, please calm down.”

 

“You don't understand Ignis! I've basically jeopardized my friendship with Noct! I've probably done the same with Prompto since he's Noct's best friend and will stand with him no matter what! And to top it all off, Noct is the Prince of Lucis so he could probably execute me or something!”

 

Gladio just chuckled at the conversation going on between the teen and the adviser. He leaned back in the arm chair he was sitting on and watched what he deemed as a form of entertainment.

 

“I assure you, neither Noctis or Prompto would end their friendship with you for making a simple mistake.”

 

“Yeah, cause they're gonna kill me!”

 

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you really believe that Noct is the type of person to execute someone for mentioning a sensitive topic, which you had no way of knowing first of all, then you do not know him at all.”

 

Sora bit his lip and shuffled his feet. Ignis noticed that the boy couldn't seem to stand still when he was nervous or anxious.

 

“Sora, please sit down.”

 

“But Ignis, how can I sit down and act like everything's fine when I've just ruined not one, but potentially two friendships?!”

 

“Sit. Down.”

 

Sora just stood still at the adviser's stern tone. Ignis sighed and walked up to Sora. He placed his hands on his shoulders and guided the boy to an arm chair that was next to Gladio. He placed the teen in the chair and crossed his arms.

 

“Now, I want you to take a deep breath and try to think clearly.”

 

Sora did as he was told. His hands were clutching the arms of the chair. He was looking at Ignis like a child would to his father.

 

“Now, as I recall, your heart is connected to Prompto's in a special way, correct?”

 

Sora didn't say anything but nodded his response instead.

 

“If two people, with a strong connection like that, were to ever have any sort of argument or disagreement, would that make them any less of friends?”

 

“No,” Sora said in a quiet voice.

 

“And why not?”

 

“Because if you're heart is truly connected with someone else's, they'll always find their way back to that person. Just like I found my way back to my friends, Riku and Kairi.”

 

“Exactly, so why would you ever think that Prompto would break his friendship with you over this?”

 

Sora remained quiet.

 

“If there is one thing that I know about Prompto is that he is one of the most loyal companions you will ever have. Trust me when I say this Sora, you haven't lost Prompto and I doubt you ever will.”

 

“But, what about Noctis?”

 

“Noctis, it seems, has taken a certain liking to you, whether you notice it or not.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sora asked puzzled.

 

“From what I've observed, Noct seems to see himself in you, or maybe you're the child he never was. Another possibility is that he sees you as a younger brother and has decided to take on the role of being the older sibling.”

 

Sora looked at Ignis with big eyes. “You really think so?”

 

“I've never been wrong yet.”

 

Sora's grip on the chair loosened. He let out a deep breath and looked to the door.

 

“When do you think they'll come back?” asked the teen.

 

“I'm not quite sure, but I suggest that you clean up first.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because once Prompto and Noctis take up the bathroom, they'll never come out.”

 

Sora chuckled lightly. “Alright then, I'll try not to take too long.”

 

Sora closed the bathroom door as he went inside.

 

“Didn't think you'd have to be a mama hen to three boys, huh Iggy?” smirked Gladio.

 

“I didn't think I would have to parent four,” responded Ignis.

 

“Hey! I've always thought of myself as the dad of the group. You know, tough and hard on the kids.”

 

“Yes, which is why I still need to look after you, _darling_ ,” teased Ignis.

 

Gladio grumbled something inaudible and crossed his arms. Ignis just chuckled and shook his head.

 

The things he had to put up with.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Ten minutes had passed when Noctis and Prompto came into the room. Ignis studied their faces and saw that they looked relatively calm. Noctis had his arm around Prompto's shoulder and was smiling just the littlest bit. Prompto was not fazed by the prince's unusual show of affection. It was usually the blonde being touchy with others to show how he felt, so to see Noctis taking on the role was very strange to Ignis indeed.

 

“I take it everything is well?” asked the adviser.

 

“Yep, all thanks to Prompto,” Noctis squeezed Prompto's shoulder.

 

“Just taking on the best friend role,” chuckled the blonde.

 

Gladio stood up and stretched. “Anyone else getting hungry?”

 

“Ooooo, me!” Prompto jumped up excitedly and raised his hand.

 

“I suggest we go to the restaurant and have some lunch,” said Ignis.

 

“I'm good with that, but, uh, where's Sora?” asked the prince.

 

“Shower,” Gladio answered.

 

“He should be out shortly. Why don't you three procure a table and we'll meet you in a few minutes,” Ignis suggested.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” agreed Noctis.

 

With that said, Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio left to the restaurant while Ignis stayed behind to wait for the teen.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Five minutes passed once Sora stepped out of the bathroom. He was looking around the room while towel drying his hair.

 

“They're not back yet?” the teen asked.

 

“They were, but then they decided to eat at the restaurant. We're meeting them there,” replied Ignis.

 

“Oh, um, okay.”

 

Ignis ruffled Sora's damp hair. He found it strange that it was already starting to dry even though he just got out of the shower.

 

“No need to worry. Noctis asked for you.”

 

“Yeah, cause he probably wants to avoid me,” grumbled Sora.

 

Ignis sighed and gently pushed Sora out the door.

 

“Come along. We don't want to keep them waiting.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Where are they?”

 

“Stop your whining, they're probably already on their way.”

 

“But I'm hungry!”

 

“And we're not?”

 

“It's different cause you're pure muscle. You could go days without food. Me and Noct here, we'd die of starvation after a few hours without food.”

 

Gladio rolled his eyes at Prompto's reasoning. When they had gotten to the restaurant and sat down at a booth, Gladio insisted that they wait for Ignis and Sora to arrive before ordering. This got the blonde to pout and whine about how hungry he was. Noctis, who had buried his face in his arms to take a short nap, didn't really care. He was tired from all the crying and honestly just wanted to sleep, but he knew that he had to have lunch or else Ignis would start a whole lecture on the importance of eating a proper meal.

 

It wasn't long before Ignis arrived with a nervous looking Sora behind him.

 

“Yay! You guys are here! Now we can order!” cheered Prompto. He turned to the sleeping prince beside him and continuously poked his cheek. “Noct. Hey Noct. Noooooooct. Buddy. Wake up.”

 

Noctis slowly opened his eyes and looked at the source of his disturbance. “What?”

 

“It's time to orders the foods!”

 

The raven yawned in a manner that was not so princely and had Ignis giving him a glare. Noctis smirked.

 

Ignis sat next to Gladio in the booth. Sora was about to sit next to Ignis when he was suddenly grabbed from the waist and pulled into someone's lap.

 

“Oh no you don't! You're sitting with us my child!”

 

Sora realized he was sitting on Prompto's lap and, by default, next to Noctis.

 

“Ummm, I think it'd be better if I sat on the other side,” said Sora.

 

Noctis looked at Sora and with the most serious and demanding tone he could muster said, “Prompto, hand me the child.”

 

Prompto proceeded to do just that while the teen kept retorting that he was, indeed, not a child and was definitely too old to be sitting on someone's lap. The blonde just chuckled and dropped Sora onto Noctis' lap. Sora pouted and crossed his arms.

 

Noctis placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. “Now my child, why are you trying to avoid us?” Noctis asked with a serious but slightly amused tone.

 

“I'm – I'm not! It's just – I – ugh!” Sora covered his face out of frustration.

 

“Hmmmm, did we ever teach our child how to speak, Noct?” asked Prompto.

 

“Hey! I claimed him as my child first!” exclaimed Gladio.

 

“Wait, what?! You guys are claiming me now?!” asked the teen.

 

“Well, when you say it like that, you make it sound really kinky,” Prompto smirked.

 

Sora gasped and hid his face in his hands again.

 

“Anyway, back to the topic. Is it cause of earlier?” asked Noctis.

 

“I didn't mean to make you upset! I swear Noct! I didn't even know you felt that way about your mom! I'm really sorry!” apologized Sora.

 

“Whoah, whoah. Calm down. It's okay. I know you didn't mean anything bad by it. It was just a normal question to ask, that's all. I just reacted badly but, there was no way you could've known that my mom was a – uh – sensitive topic. There's nothing to apologize for.” Noctis smiled at the boy.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. It's not your fault that I have trouble talking to people about certain things. That's just how I am.” Noctis shrugged.

 

Sora nodded. “We all have tough moments, but it's important to remember that we have tougher friends that will help us get through them.”

 

Noctis chuckled. “You're right about that.”

 

“Yep. Now maybe I can actually sit on my own?”

 

Noctis thought about his question for a moment. “Nah.” He proceeded to squeeze the teen to his chest.

 

“What?! Why?!” whined the teen.

 

“Cause you're so cuddly.”

 

“And cute! Don't forget cute!” added Prompto.

 

“What?! I'm not cute! I'm fifteen!” said Sora.

 

“You're fifteen and adorable you small precious child,” stated the blonde. He hugged Sora from the side. “Don't worry! I will protect you!” he yelled.

 

Gladio tried to cover his laugh but failed miserably. Ignis smiled and shook his head, hoping that they wouldn't get kicked out of the restaurant.

 

A few moments later, a waitress came and handed them all menus.

 

“Here, just in case,” she handed Sora a slightly smaller menu. “Let me know when you are ready.” With that, she left.

 

“What the heck?!” exclaimed Sora.

 

“What is it?” asked the adviser.

 

“She gave me a children's menu!”

 

Apparently, that was the last straw that had everyone at the booth bursting into laughter. Sora, however, was not amused. He did take the opportunity to slip off of Noctis' lap and sit right between him and Prompto.

 

“Awwww,” whined Noctis.

 

Sora took Noctis' menu and began to look through it. Noctis picked up the children's menu and looked through it out of sheer curiosity.

 

“A menu befitting for Noct,” teased Ignis. Everyone else except Noctis snickered.

 

“Hey, I'll have you know - ” Noctis paused. “Actually, this menu is not that bad.”

 

“Dude, are you seriously gonna order from the children's menu?” Prompto asked.

 

“Hey, they have a lot of stuff without vegetables.”

 

“We're at one of the best restaurants in Lucis and you're going to get pizza or a burger or something?” Prompto asked, disbelief all over his face.

 

The raven looked at Prompto, then at his menu, and Prompto again.

 

“Yes,” he replied.

 

“As long as he eats something, I'll let it pass,” Ignis said.

 

“You can't tell me what to do,” Noctis stated. “I am the prince!”

 

Prompto chuckled. “More like princess.”

 

Noctis glared at the blonde. He then slapped his head softly.

 

“Noctis, do not slap Prompto,” scolded the adviser.

 

“I'll slap whoever I want.”

 

“Try me,” Ignis glared.

 

Noctis looked at the man with wide eyes, then continued to look through his menu, defeated.

 

“Does this usually happen?” asked Sora.

 

“More than you think,” answered Gladio.

 

Sora smiled. “It's nice to have someone looking out for you. Riku was always like that. He always put on this whole tough facade, but really, he's just a softy. He was always watching out for me and Kairi.”

 

Everyone was quite, listening attentively to Sora.

 

“And then, when I was separated from them, when my journey began a year ago, I felt lost. But then, Donald and Goofy found me and were by my side. They did leave at one point but, in the end, they came back. True friends always find their way back to each other.”

 

Sora was surprised when he felt a hand grip his shoulder. “You sure you're just 15?” asked Noctis with a small smile.

 

Sora chuckled. “You sure you're 20?”

 

Noctis laughed. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

 

“Are you guys ready to order yet, cause I'm starving,” whined Prompto.

 

“Alright, alright. Don't get your boxers in a bunch,” teased Noctis.

 

“What if I'm not wearing boxers?”

 

“Dude!”

 

“I mean, I'm wearing briefs, not boxers.”

 

The raven's face reddened at having thought that the blonde was not wearing any underwear initially.

 

Prompto laughed. “What's the matter Noct?” Prompto asked teasingly.

 

“Shut up and call the waitress over.”

 

Prompto did just that and as soon as she came to the table, everyone was ready with their orders.

 

“I will have the Sea's Bounty Risotto,” stated Ignis kindly.

 

“I'll have the White Fish in Tomato Sauce, please,” said Sora.

 

“Make that two,” said Gladio.

 

“I'll get the Galdin Gratin, please,” said Prompto.

 

Everyone looked at Noctis, waiting for him to order.

 

“I'll have the chicken tenders with a side of fries,” he stated bluntly.

 

The waitress gave Noctis a quizzical look but nodded. “Alrighty then! May I take your menus?”

 

“Certainly,” answered Ignis.

 

Once the waitress left with their menus, Prompto burst into laughter. “You actually ordered from the children's menu!”

 

Noctis shrugged. “I said I would.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Their food arrived in a matter of minutes. “Enjoy!” said the waitress.

 

Sora picked up his fork and got a piece of fish. He was suddenly aware of how quite everyone else was. He looked up and saw that the other four were staring at him with bated breath.

 

“What?” asked the teen.

 

“We're waiting for you to try your food,” replied Prompto.

 

“Why?”

 

“It's your first time experiencing the awesomeness!”

 

“But now it's just weird if I eat with all you guys staring at me.”

 

“No it's not! Just think of it as admiring instead of staring.”

 

“...that's worst.”

 

“Whatever, just taste it already!” Prompto happily said as he pulled out his camera.

 

Sora put a piece of fish in his mouth and chewed it slowly, savoring the flavor. His eyes lit up and a small smile spread on his face. Then, a _click_ was heard as Prompto snapped a picture of Sora's reaction.

 

“I assume that the food is to your liking then?” asked Ignis.

 

Sora nodded and started to eat more of his fish. Noctis laughed at the teen.

 

“You know, he may not be a child, but he is one at heart.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Hey, we should all go fishing tomorrow!”

 

Noctis turned at the sound of his best friend's suggestion. He raised an eyebrow. “ _You_ want to go _fishing_?”

 

“Yeah? Why is that so surprising to you?”

 

“Cause all you guys hate fishing.”

 

“Yeah, well, I'm willing to do it for Sora's sake.”

 

“Huh? What?” asked Sora as he lifted his head up from his position on the bed near the window.

 

“You said you like fishing right?” asked Prompto.

 

“Heck yes I do!” Sora sat up smiling.

 

“Awesome, cause we're going fishing tomorrow.”

 

Sora cheered and fell back onto the bed. Noctis, however, looked to the blonde with annoyance on his face.

 

“Oh, so if Sora wants to go fishing it's fine, but when I want to, you guys start whining about it,” the raven said.

 

“Awwww, someone's jealous that we love Sora more.”

 

“I am not – wait, what?!” asked Noctis in disbelief.

 

Ignis and Gladio chuckled from their seats.

 

“Why the hell are you guys laughing?” asked an annoyed Noctis.

 

“Cause it's true,” replied Gladio.

 

“Oh hell no.” Noctis got off the bed he was sharing with Prompto and ran toward the shield.

As he got closer, he tripped over his feet and fell to the floor. “Owwww.”

 

Everyone burst into laughter. Sora sat up and saw Noctis sprawled out on the floor groaning. He got up, walked to the prince, and nudged him with his foot. He didn't move.

 

“Guys, I think Noct is dead,” Sora announced.

 

“Nah, he's just being lazy,” answered Prompto.

 

Suddenly, a soft snore was heard.

 

“Or he just fell asleep.”

 

“What? He was just awake a few seconds ago wasn't he?” asked the teen.

 

“Noct will sleep anywhere. Trust me, I caught him sleeping in the shower once,” Ignis was silent for a few seconds. “It was not a pleasant experience.”

 

“... soooooo, anyone wanna wake him up?” asked Prompto.

 

“I have dealt with sleeping Noct for quite some time. I am not going to deal with him anymore,” replied Ignis.

 

“Gladio?”

 

“Do you really want me to wake him up?” asked the shield.

 

“... no.”

 

“Why not?” asked Sora.

 

“Gladio's method of waking up people is rather … violent,” answered the adviser.

 

“Soraaaaaaaa! Wake him up!” whined the blonde.

 

Sora looked down at Noctis' sleeping form and once again, nudged him with his foot. He didn't even stir. Sora looked up at Prompto and shrugged.

 

Prompto rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks for that.”

 

The blonde sighed and got up. He kneeled down next to Noctis and shook him. “Noct, buddy, wake up. We need to get you to bed.”

 

Noctis mumbled something but didn't make any move to get up. “Well, shit.”

 

“What?” asked Sora.

 

The blonde sighed. “I'm gonna have to carry him.”

 

Prompto moved Noctis until he was lying on his back. He then put his right arm under Noctis' legs and his left under his upper back. He lifted the prince up with relative ease.

 

“Isn't he heavy?” asked the teen.

 

“He's my best friend, of course he isn't heavy.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

_The sky was purple._

 

_It wasn't supposed to be purple._

 

_Destiny Islands was known for its clear blue skies, its beautiful waters, its white sand, and its golden sun. Now, all that he could see was a dark purple sky, black murky water, dark black sand that seemed to be made out of sharp pieces of glass, and a black sun._

 

_The sun was what terrified him the most. Instead of emitting beautiful golden rays of sunshine, it let out darkness that spread out to the sky and maintained its purple hue. There were no clouds, no birds, no signs of life, except for a figure in front of him who had his back to him._

 

_He knew who this was, but his voice didn't work. He couldn't call out his name, not yet._

 

_He took slow steps toward the figure. He was barefoot so his feet bled from the pieces of glass sticking into the soles of his feet. He stood next to the figure, looked out toward the black sea, and waited to be addressed, for he could not be the one to speak first._

 

_Not yet, his mind said._

 

_He took slow breaths, calm ones. He had to remain calm, for this mockery of his home was not calm at all._

 

“ _So, you're finally home,” the figure said._

 

_He didn't respond. He just kept looking at the sea, or what once was the sea._

 

_The figure let out a bitter laugh. “You're gone all this time, you leave us here, and you can't even bother to say anything?”_

 

“ _What do you want me to say?”_

 

_The figure scoffed and shook his head. “Always thinking about yourself.”_

 

“ _Riku, you know that isn't tru -”_

 

“ _Oh shut up Sora!”_

 

_Sora flinched and looked down at the black glass sand that was stabbing his feet._

 

_It was silent for a few moments. The only sound that was heard was that of the waves crashing onto the shore._

 

“ _It's beautiful, isn't it?” asked Riku._

 

“ _What do you mean?”_

 

“ _The sea, the sand, the sun, our home.”_

 

_Sora shook his head, looking up to look out at the sea. “This isn't our home.”_

 

“ _Of course it is. You made it like this after all.”_

 

_Sora turned to look at Riku now, for his mind said this was the right time to do so._

 

_He wish he hadn't._

 

_Riku was looking at him. Sora couldn't find his eyes. There were just black pits where his bright blue eyes should have been and black veins spreading out from around them. His skin was a sickly gray tone. There were gashes all over his body, but where blood should have seeped out, there was a thick black liquid that took its place._

 

_Sora gasped and wanted to scream, but he couldn't._

 

_Not yet, his mind said again._

 

“ _Riku. What – What happened to you?”_

 

“ _You, of course. You did this to me.” He pointed his finger at him after each accusation. “You left us here to die. You left this world to darkness. You left us to darkness!”_

 

“ _Riku … I'm sorry,” he said this line so quietly, as if it was meant only for his best friend's ears._

 

_Riku ignored his apology. “You want to apologize to someone, apologize to them.”_

 

“ _Them?”_

 

“ _What? You forgot you had other friends too? Like I said, always thinking about yourself.” Riku shook his head and sat down on the glass sand. He started picking up pieces of glass, not caring that they cut him and let fresh black liquid drip down his hands, and threw them into the dark water._

 

_Sora wanted to talk to Riku more, but that's not what he was supposed to do. He had to find the others, whoever they were. He thought of where to go next and decided that he would start with the spot that he and Riku usually sparred at._

 

 

 

_As he crossed the now broken, black, wooden bridge, he noticed two figures standing side by side at the sparring spot. One seemed lean and taller than the other. He approached the figures, but had no idea what to do. He decided to knock on the nearest palm tree to get their attention._

 

_There weren't any trees when I got here though, right?_

 

“ _Ahhh, you're finally here,” said one of the figures with a British accent._

 

“ _You really thought he wouldn't show?” asked the other figure with a deeper voice._

 

“ _After all he's done, I wouldn't be surprised.”_

 

_Sora leaned against the tree, only to realize too late that it wasn't there anymore. He fell backwards but caught himself on his hands. The glass cut into his hands and he bled. He hissed in pain, but he wouldn't dare scream._

 

_Not yet._

 

“ _Still as clumsy as ever I see,” said the one with the accent._

 

“ _Give him a break Iggy. He's been through enough already,” said the other._

 

“ _Of course Gladio, of course. After all, he has been spending all his time worrying about how to get back home instead of asking about us.”_

 

_Sora felt a small bit of anger but didn't let it get to him. “You guys have it all wrong,” he said._

 

“ _Nah, I don't think we do,” said Gladio as he faced Sora and crossed his arms._

 

_Gladio looked just like Riku did, black pits for eyes, gray skin, and gashes with black liquid all over him. When Ignis turned to face Sora, he looked the same as Gladio, but the only difference was that black liquid was running down his left “eye.”_

 

“ _Look at us. This is what we'll become. This is the pain you're gonna cause us.”_

 

_Ignis smiled coldly at the young boy who was still on the floor. “Your blood is still red,” he stated. Then, he shook his head. “Of course it is. You would save yourself after all.”_

 

“ _What are you talking about?” Sora asked, scared._

 

“ _Doesn't matter, cause you won't last like that forever,” said Gladio._

 

_Then, both men sat down at the edge of the glass sand, feet dangling, and picked up pieces of glass and threw them into the water._

 

_Sora got up slowly and backed away from them. He eventually was on the broken bridge, which collapsed underneath him. He fell face first onto the glass sand beneath him. He slowly got up and picked out as much glass as he could from his hands and face. It hurt so bad but he couldn't scream._

 

_No, not yet._

 

_He looked around and saw a lone figure standing at the pier where the boats usually were. He made his way toward the figure slowly, each step making new cuts into his feet, leaving a fresh trail of blood behind him._

 

_Once he was on the pier, he noticed that the figure was fishing. He automatically knew who this was._

 

“ _Oh, you're here,” the figure said, rather dismissively._

 

“ _Yeah. I see you're fishing,” stated Sora._

 

“ _You don't say?” the figure said sarcastically._

 

“ _Hey Noct, I never got to teach you how to -”_

 

“ _Don't call me that.”_

 

“ _What?”_

 

“ _I said don't call me that. Only my friends call me Noct,” said Noctis._

 

“ _But, I thought we were friends.”_

 

_Noctis laughed. “Really? Me, a prince, be friends with some puny teenager like you? Yeah right.”_

 

_Sora was hurt. He felt tears prickle his eyes but he didn't let them out. “You said we were friends.”_

 

“ _Yeah, that was before you did all this.” Noctis gestured with one hand to the island around them. “That was before what you did to Ignis, to Gladio … to … to Prom.”_

 

_Sora didn't want to look at Noctis, because he knew what he would see. His mind told him that he had to though. So he turned his head and looked at the raven. Just as he expected, He looked just like Riku, Gladio, and Ignis. The only difference was that he had what looked like cracks all over his skin, as if he were a statue that were about to break any minute. Sora also realized that Noctis wasn't wearing any shoes and that there was a trail of black liquid on the pier leading up to his feet._

 

“ _I can fix this Noct! I swear I -”_

 

“ _Don't call me that!” Noctis yelled. He huffed and made his fishing rod disappear. “Just leave.”_

 

_He then sat down, one foot in the water, and the other resting on his leg. He started picking out glass from his foot and proceeded to throw the pieces in the water._

 

_Sora wanted to say more, he really did, but he knew that he had to go to his next destination._

 

_To the secret place._

 

 

 

_*********************************_

 

 

 

_As he walked into the cave, he heard laughter._

 

_A girl's laugh, and he knew that laugh anywhere._

 

“ _Haha! Hold still Kairi!”_

 

_He recognized that voice too, and felt a bit of hope at hearing the two laugh together._

 

_Maybe they're alright._

 

_Once he was completely in the cave, he saw Prompto holding a long piece of black glass, and was using it to cut into Kairi's skin through her dress. Her dress already had several rips and tears and she was cut all over._

 

_She was bleeding red though._

 

_Sora started to run toward them. “Prompto! Stop!”_

 

_Prompto stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the teen._

 

_By far, Prompto looked the most terrifying out of the rest._

 

_He skin was the same sickly gray tone as the others,he had cuts and gashes all over his skin, and he bled the same black liquid. His face, however, was horrifying._

 

_He had black pits where his eyes were, but in the middle of them, there were glowing red irises. Black liquid was dried on his face, so it looked as if he were crying. His smirk and evil glare said otherwise._

 

“ _There you are! Come to join in on the fun?” asked Prompto._

 

_Kairi giggled next to him. She still looked human._

 

“ _Prompto, you need to stop this! This isn't right! This isn't you!” pleaded Sora._

 

“ _Of course this is me! This has always been me! And plus, you're little girly friend over here didn't seem to mind it.” Prompto ran the tip of the glass along the curve of Kairi's face. She let out another giggle._

 

“ _Kairi! Come over here!” Sora called out._

 

“ _I'm tired of you telling me what to do, Sora. And plus, I like Prompto. He's nice, funny, muscular … you know, I've always had a thing for blondes.” As she said this, she went on her tip toes and ran her fingers over Prompto's face._

 

“ _Wha … what?” Sora asked in disbelief._

 

“ _Oh please, you really think I would be into some scrawny kid like you?” Kairi looked Sora up and down in disgust._

 

“ _Now that's my girl.” Prompto wrapped an arm around Kairi's waist and pulled her flush against him. He bent his head down and kissed her, deep and hard. Kairi moaned against his lips and he bit her bottom lip until she was bleeding. They pulled away and panted for breath._

 

_To say Sora was shocked was an understatement. At this point, he didn't know how to feel. He was so confused, so angry, and so heartbroken, that he just didn't know which one to focus on anymore._

 

_His mouth was hanging open, and honestly, he had no idea how to respond to what he just saw._

 

_Prompto just laughed and looked to Kairi. “So Princess, are you ready?”_

 

_Kairi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, more than ready.”_

 

_She held out her arm to the blonde and he took it in one hand. With the other hand, he sliced a deep, long cut into her arm. Then, he let go and cut deep into the palm of his hand and black liquid spilled from the wound._

 

_Realizing what Prompto was about to do, Sora made a mad dash toward him. “No!”_

 

_But when he reached Prompto, he was knocked back. It was as if there was a barrier protecting them. He could only watch._

 

_Prompto held his hand over Kairi's wound and watched as the black liquid fell into the cut. Soon enough, all the cuts all over her body were oozing black liquid instead of blood. Black pits replaced her eyes and her skin turned gray. She started laughing hysterically._

 

“ _It worked!” she exclaimed._

 

“ _Of course it worked, why wouldn't it?” Prompto asked with a smug smirk._

 

_Kairi then jumped on the blonde, wrapping her legs around him and he held her up by the legs. They started to kiss violently. The blonde pinned her up against the wall and it escalated pretty quickly from there. A few seconds later, clothes littered the floor and Sora had no choice but to watch the whole thing. He wanted to turn away, but couldn't._

 

_Not yet._

 

 

 

_******************************_

 

 

 

_Sora ran out of the cave. He ran, and ran, and ran. He wanted to get off the island. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't. There were no boats. There was no way out._

 

_Not yet anyway._

 

_There was still one more thing left to do on the island. One more thing left to see, but he didn't know what it was. He just knew that he had to wait for this last thing and then … then he could leave._

 

_He decided to go to the place where he had had a good memory with his friends, a place where they had been planning to leave and explore the unknown._

 

_The raft._

 

_It was still there, all battered and broken, but it was still there. He stood on the raft and found Kairi's good luck charm, shattered. He picked up the pieces and examined them._

 

“ _Where did I go wrong?” he held the pieces close to his heart._

 

“ _Hey! Don't be sad!”_

 

_Great. It was the last person he wanted to see right now._

 

_Sora turned to find Prompto walking toward him. Following behind him were Kairi, Noctis, Riku, Ignis, and Gladio._

 

“ _You,” Sora snarled. “You did this to them! You turned them into these … these things!”_

 

“ _Oh calm down Sora. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you.”_

 

“ _What are you talking about?!”_

 

“ _Wow. Standing on an island with glass sand and you haven't even bothered to look at yourself.” Prompto shook his head._

 

“ _I know how I look!”_

 

“ _No, you know how you used to look, which is why you see yourself the same. But once you see your reflection, see who you really are, you won't be blind anymore. You'll be able to see clearly.”_

 

“ _Not all of us can see, Prompto,” said Ignis._

 

“ _Whoops, sorry Iggy,” the blonde apologized half-heartedly._

 

_Sora picked up a piece of glass that was the size of his palm. “I know who I am! I don't need some stupid glass to -”_

 

_He was speechless once he looked in the glass. He saw his face of course, but it wasn't him. His skin was a dark tan color. His eyes were a bright yellow and his hair was silver._

 

_Just like his, he thought._

 

_He dropped the glass. “No, no,” he mumbled as he pulled on his hair. He looked down at his arms and saw that they were dark. He ripped out pieces of his hair and found them to be silver. He turned to look at the group of what were once his friends._

 

_Prompto was smiling sickly. “You did this to us buddy and man, I've gotta say, I haven't had this much fun in years!”_

 

_Kairi laughed while Gladio raised a fist in the air and cheered. Ignis applauded but Noctis, he just looked miserably at the blonde._

 

_Sora began to hyperventilate. He was panicking. He wanted to leave so, so bad. He couldn't take it anymore._

 

_Now._

 

_He screamed from the top of his lungs. He screamed until his throat burned. He cried until his eyes burned. Eventually, he collapsed to the ground, landing on his knees, and quietly sobbed. A hand rested on his shoulder._

 

“ _Hey, buddy. It's alright. We're gonna be together forever now. You made it possible,” Prompto said._

 

“ _This is all your fault,” said Kairi._

 

“ _You caused us this pain,” stated Gladio._

 

“ _You will cause us this pain,” said Ignis._

 

“ _You will fall into darkness,” said Noctis._

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sora jumped out of bed, stumbling over Gladio's sleeping form in the process, and ran to the bathroom, covering his mouth. Once he made it, he leaned over the toilet and threw up. He heard someone walking up to him and next thing he knew, his hair was being pulled back and away from his face. Once Sora finished, he just leaned over the toilet and cried quietly. A gentle hand rubbed his back.

 

“Sora? You okay?” Prompto asked from his and Noctis' bed.

 

“Leave him alone for now,” he heard Gladio say. “He'll be alright.”

 

“But -”

 

“Prompto, it's alright. Go back to bed.”

 

Sora assumed that Gladio was standing right outside the bathroom from how loud and clear his voice sounded. That meant that Ignis was the one trying to comfort him.

 

After a while, Sora stood up on shaky feet. Ignis led him to the sink.

 

“I assume you'll want to brush your teeth to get rid of the taste,” Ignis said.

 

Sora nodded weakly and proceeded to do just that. Once he was finished, he walked back with Ignis to the living area. Gladio was standing by the glass door leading to the balcony.

 

“I'll order some tea to ease your stomach and calm you. Why don't you go with Gladio outside? The fresh air will do you good. Make sure to take a blanket. It is quite chilly outside.”

 

Sora said nothing but did as he was told. He wrapped himself in a blanket and walked out onto the balcony with Gladio. There was a little table and four chairs surrounding it. Gladio took a seat in one while Sora took a seat in another that was on the opposite side of him.

 

About a minute later, Ignis came out with a steaming mug of tea. He handed it to Sora and the teen took it without a word. Ignis sat next to Gladio, noting that Sora wanted some distance between himself and them.

 

Ignis nor Gladio said a word. They wouldn't say anything until Sora spoke, until he wanted to talk. The adviser noticed that the teen seemed to be studying him and Gladio. After a few minutes, the boy let out a relieved sigh and took a sip of the tea.

 

Sora took a few moments to calm himself. He held the tea close to his face, for the steam warmed him up.

 

“I had a dream … a bad dream. A really bad dream.” the teen said quietly.

 

None of the men said anything, only listened attentively and waited for Sora to continue.

 

He took a shaky breath. “I was home, at the islands, only … it didn't look like home at all.” He took a sip of his tea. “It looked evil and dark. The ocean was black, the sky was dark and purple, the sun was black, and the sand … the sand was made out of black pieces of glass.” Sora shivered, not because he was cold, but because of the memory. “My best friend, Riku was there, and so were you guys … but, you guys weren't … you.”

 

Sora explained the whole dream. He talked about how with each step he bled, with each friend he met more pain was caused, how he was blamed for the chaos, what he saw in his reflection, and mostly, of what Prompto did to Kairi. That seemed to bother him the most because that's where he broke out crying.

 

“I – don't – want – to cause – people – pain! I don't – want – to fall – to darkness!”

 

Ignis walked to Sora and crouched to his level. “Sora -” The teen had wrapped his arms around the man and buried his face into his shoulder. Ignis wrapped his arms around the boy and rubbed his back.

 

“There, there. It was only a nightmare. No need to worry, Sora,” assured Ignis.

 

The teen sobbed for a while and Ignis could feel his t-shirt getting wet from the tears, but he didn't care. Gladio stood next to them and gently ran his hands through Sora's brown locks.

 

Soon, the teen's sobs slowed down and eventually, he was just taking slow deep breaths against Ignis. He pulled away from the adviser slowly and rubbed his eyes.

 

“I'm -”

 

“Don't you dare apologize for being human Sora,” Ignis said calmly.

 

“We've all had tough moments. We've all had to vent before. There's no shame in it,” said Gladio who ruffled Sora's hair.

 

Sora sniffled. “I was just gonna apologize for wetting your shirt.”

 

Ignis chuckled and shook his head. “Oh Sora, you truly are a child at heart.”

 

“Trust me kid, that's a good thing. Any of us would give to be as carefree and joyful as you or Prompto.”

 

Sora tensed up at the mention of the blonde.

 

“Sora, I swear to you that Prompto would never harm a soul. He practically has a heart of gold, and you know this more than we do,” assured Ignis.

 

“Yeah, but if you need some space for a while, from any of us, we'll understand,” said Gladio who put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

 

Sora sniffled and nodded.

 

“Come, let us get you back to bed,” said Ignis as he started to lead the teen back inside the room.

 

 

 

Sora slept in between Gladio and Ignis. He was a little squished, but he was warm, and he was safe, and that's all that mattered to him at the moment.

 

Maybe he was a little selfish.

 

 


	7. Breaking Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm gonna post more frequently since I'm on vacation!  
> Also Me: *gets hit with a bunch of depression near and during Christmas*  
> Still Me: *gets over depression but gets the flu*  
> Me: ... WTF!  
> Ugh, it's like the world wants to prevent me from updating this fic!

“Open yourself to the darkness. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself.”

                                                           

                                                                                                   -  Ansem, Kingdom Hearts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gladio couldn't move.

 

Well, actually, he was more than capable of moving but chose not to for the sake of the young brunette that was clinging to his arm as if it were his lifeline. Gladio wasn't the type to hug or cuddle to comfort someone, but in this case, he allowed it, for the teen had a rough night and was exhausted.

 

So here was the shield, at 11:27 in the morning, in bed, reading a book while his left arm was temporarily out of use. Ignis, and surprisingly, Noctis were already awake and getting food at the restaurant to bring back to the room. Prompto was still snuggled up in bed, which was odd, since he was usually an early riser, but he seemed warm and content in his bundle of blankets.

 

As Gladio kept reading his book, his mind kept drifting back to Sora's nightmare. It seemed very specific and dark, and if there was anything that Gladio learned while being around a person filled with magic and power, it was that dreams are not just dreams. He just hoped that Sora's nightmare wasn't some sort of omen.

 

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts, and in came Ignis and Noctis carrying trays of covered food. They set the trays down on the table and uncovered each dish. One plate was piled up with scrambled eggs, another with pancakes, one with bacon and sausages, and another with french toast.

 

“I'll be right back. I need to get the coffee...and Noct's hot chocolate,” said Ignis as he left the room once more.

 

“He's still asleep?” asked Noctis, slightly annoyed. He was referring to Prompto.

 

“Yeah, what's it to you?” asked Gladio.

 

“If I can't sleep anymore, then he can't either.” Noctis walked up to the sleeping blonde. “He looks so peaceful.” Noctis yanked the blankets from the bed, which caused Prompto to roll off the bed with them.

 

“What the hell?!” Prompto panicked. He stood up, covered in the blankets. “I can't freakin' see!” He started to wave his arms frantically and tried to get out of his blanket prison.

 

Noctis shook his head and lifted the blankets off of his best friend.

 

“Oh, hey Noct,” the blonde said cheerfully. “Hey Ignis.” He waved at the adviser who was standing at the door holding the drinks.

 

“Five minutes. I was gone for five minutes and this is what I come back to,” mumbled Ignis.

 

“You should know better by now Iggy. They can't be left alone,” snickered Gladio.

 

“Indeed, although, they were left with you.”

 

“Yeah but I'm immobile.”

 

Prompto looked over at Gladio and chuckled at what he saw. “Hey Gladio, I think there's something on your arm.”

 

“And if you wake him up, there will be something on your face,” retorted the shield.

 

Prompto held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright!”

 

Ignis, Noctis, and Prompto grabbed plates and filled them with food.

 

“Do you want me to fix you a plate Gladio?” asked Ignis.

 

“No thanks. I'll eat once Sora wakes up.”

 

“Awwwww, someone's being -”

 

“Shut. It,” Gladio told the blonde.

 

“Spoil sport,” mumbled the blonde as he shoved eggs into his mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't until 15 minutes later that Sora woke up.

 

He opened his eyes slowly and felt that his cheek was really warm. He realized, after a moment of figuring out where he was and who he was with, that his face was pressed up against an arm. He pulled his face away from the arm, ever so slowly, and looked up to see who it was.

 

It was Gladio.

 

Sora jumped back in the bed. “Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!”

 

Gladio looked at the teen, raising an eyebrow. “For what?”

 

“I – I didn't mean to take your arm hostage!”

 

Gladio raised his brow even higher. “As long as it helped you sleep, I'm fine with it.” He then shrugged and got up from the bed. “So, you gonna eat breakfast?”

 

Sora was shocked and confused at Gladio's reaction. He thought about apologizing again but realized that it would get him no where. It would just be best to go with it. After all, this was how Gladio was.

 

“Sure.” Sora got up and followed the shield to the table where the food was out.

 

Both he and Gladio piled their plates with different food items. They each grabbed a coffee and were about to sit in the armchairs when a certain voice stopped Sora in his tracks.

 

“Hey Sora! You're up!”

 

Sora's eyes went wide as he stopped and tensed up at the sound of the blonde's voice.

 

“ _Come to join in on the fun?”_

 

He couldn't, wouldn't turn around. He feared that if he looked at the blonde's face, he would break down in tears or feel anger and hatred. And he didn't know if he would be able to control himself from doing something reckless to the blonde.

 

With a trembling voice, and with his back to everyone, he said, “I'm gonna eat outside.” He then proceeded to walk quickly to the balcony.

 

Prompto watched the boy walk outside. He was confused and worried as to why Sora was acting strange. Maybe he just needed some air or time to clear his thoughts? He was about to follow the boy when Gladio beat him to it.

 

“I'm gonna eat outside too. Been needing some fresh air after being in here all morning,” said the shield as he went out onto the balcony.

 

Sora was sitting down, picking at his food. Gladio decided to sit in the chair next to him. It was then that Sora noticed Gladio's arrival, for his head perked up.

 

“Gladio? What are you doing out here?” he asked.

 

“I could ask you the same question,” responded the shield as he shoved a forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

 

Sora looked down at his plate and shrugged. “Just needed some space.”

 

“Space huh?” he took a sip of his coffee. “From who?” Gladio obviously knew who. He wasn't stupid, but he wanted Sora to be able to trust him.

 

Sora didn't answer for a moment. He played with his eggs for a while until he viciously stabbed some and put them in his mouth. “Prompto,” he said after swallowing his food.

 

Gladio nodded and took a bite of bacon.

 

“I know it's not his fault I dreamed what I did, and I know that none of that actually happened, but … it's just that … every time I think of him, or hear him, all I can remember is what he became in my nightmare. What he did to you guys … what – what he did to Kairi,” Sora said this last bit quietly.

 

“I'm getting the sense that there's more to it,” Gladio said. “You're not just avoiding him for your own well-being, are you?”

 

“No.” Sora took a deep breath, then let it out. “I just … I just don't wanna do something I'll regret later. I don't wanna hurt him.”

 

Gladio thought about telling Sora that his dream may have actually been some sort of warning. In the end, he decided that the poor boy was already stressed enough and didn't need to add more to his plate. Instead, he decided to change the subject to take the teen's mind off of the nightmare.

 

“So, how's your coffee?” asked Gladio as he took a sip from his own.

 

“Ummm, I actually have never tried coffee before,” answered the teen.

 

“Well then, today's your lucky day kid. Careful though, it's hot.”

 

Sora raised the cup to his lips and took a tentative sip. “Hmmm. Salty, but sweet, and a little bitter. I like it.”

 

“Iggy probably got you the salted caramel latte.”

 

“It reminds me of sea salt ice cream.”

 

“Sea salt ice cream?”

 

Sora's eyes lit up. “Yeah! It's this blue ice cream that's salty and sweet! It's sooooo good and refreshing! I wish you guys could try it, but they only sell it in Twilight Town.”

 

“Guess we'll all just have to go to Twilight Town then, when we have the chance,” Gladio shrugged.

 

“Wait, really?” Sora asked surprised.

 

“Sure, why not? Just need to take care of things here first, and find a way to get there. I'm guessing it's in another world, right?”

 

Sora nodded. “Once Donald and Goofy find me, we can use the Gummi Ship to take you guys!”

 

The shield was glad that he was able to take the teen's mind off of his nightmare. It was nice to see him smiling again, even if it was for a short while, because he knew that once they went back inside, Sora's smile would disappear.

 

Gladio smiled back at the boy. “I'm glad you're still keeping that hope alive.”

 

“Well, I have to. It's the only thing I have. If I have hope and believe, anything is possible.”

 

“You manage to teach us something new every day kid.” Gladio ruffled Sora's spiky hair. “Now eat your breakfast. Don't want you passing out on me when we train.”

 

“Train?”

 

“Sure. Gotta see what you're made of, unless you're scared.” Gladio smirked.

 

“Heck no! I'll fight you any day you overgrown sausage!”

 

Gladio laughed and the two finished their breakfast together.

 

 

 

 

 

Sora wished he could have jumped off the balcony and swam to the beach to train with Gladio.

 

Gladio had told Sora that if he did that, they would probably get kicked out of the resort. The boy begged Gladio to find some other way out of the room but alas, there wasn't any. Plus, the shield mentioned that Sora couldn't physically avoid Prompto forever.

 

“You don't have to talk to him Sora. You don't even have to look at him. He's part of our group though, so there's no way you can avoid being around him,” Gladio had told him.

 

So here Sora was, standing next to Gladio, on the balcony, mentally preparing himself to walk in the room, change, and leave. He didn't want to hurt Prompto's feelings, but he just couldn't stand to talk to him, not yet anyway.

 

So with one last deep breath, he nodded to the shield and they both stepped into the room. Everyone looked up at them upon their entrance.

 

Ignis smiled at the boy. “Good morning Sora. I hope breakfast was to your liking.”

 

Sora smiled back. “Breakfast was great and the coffee was so good. Thanks Ignis.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Noctis didn't say anything. He sipped at his hot cocoa while studying Sora, at least that's what it looked like he was doing. It seemed almost as if he was trying to solve some complicated math problem. At the end, he tilted his head a little, silently asking if the teen was okay. Sora just gave off a small smile in reply.

 

Unfortunately, Prompto didn't understand that Sora really didn't want to talk at the moment. “Hey Sora! Sleep well?”

 

At the question, Sora froze. He didn't dare look at the blonde. He couldn't because he knew either one of two things would happen. He would either cry and have a panic attack, or he would beat Prompto's brains out with his keyblade.

 

Gladio, seeing how tense the brunette became, answered for him. “Yeah, he slept fine.”

 

“But I saw him throwing up last -”

 

“The fish didn't agree with him.”

 

“Oh, okay. Hope you feel better Sora.”

 

Sora just nodded without looking at the blonde. He gathered his clothes and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change. Ignis had bought a toothbrush for him the other day. He put on a black tank top, black loose cargo shorts, and his black sneakers. He combed his hair, just to get rid of the frizziness, and then went back out to the living area. He quickly put his sleeping clothes away and left the room.

 

Once he was outside, he took a deep breath and made his way to the beach. As he walked on the sand, he couldn't help but think about Destiny Islands. He thought about the clear blue water, the beautiful blue skies, the bright sun, and the white sands. Then, that perfect image of his home turned dark. His perfect island was replaced with the one from his nightmare.

 

Sora shivered and stopped walking. He sat down on the hot sand and looked out at the sea. The beach here was beautiful but it would never compare to the islands. It didn't have that special feeling of home. Sora sighed and realized how home sick he was. He wanted to go back so badly, but even if he could, he wouldn't, not without Riku.

 

He didn't even know where to start his search for Riku. He could be anywhere, in any world. And as of right now, he was on his own on the search for his best friend.

 

He couldn't leave Lucis without helping his new friends though. Heartless were roaming here and he couldn't let anything happen to this world. He would have to find out what was causing heartless to appear here, what darkness had brought them here.

 

As these thoughts coursed through Sora's head, someone approached him. He turned his head to see Gladio.

 

“Well, you don't seem happy to see me,” he said teasingly.

 

Sora shook his head. “It's not that. It's just, I've got a lot on my mind, that's all.”

 

“Care to share?”

 

Sora looked at the shield for a moment. When Sora was feeling down, Gladio allowed the teen to tell him what was wrong. He never asked. Sora figured that the change had to do with the shield knowing about some of the stress he was going through already.

 

“Riku's gone and he could be anywhere. Then, I'm launched into this world to find out that heartless are here. I can't look for Riku until I deal with the heartless here first.”

 

“I see.” Gladio thought for a moment. “And how do you plan to get rid of them?”

 

“Every world has a keyhole that I have to find. Once I do, I can seal it and get rid of the heartless here for good.”

 

“And how will you manage to do that?”

 

“With the keyblade of course!” Sora summoned said blade and held it out in front of him. Gladio just looked at it, as if it was his first time seeing it.

 

“I see,” the shield said. With that, he got up and began to walk away.

 

“Where are you going? Aren't we gonna train?” asked Sora.

 

Gladio halted. “Yeah, just need to get something. I'll be right back.”

 

“Okay.” Sora frowned. Their discussion had seemed kind of odd and forced. Sora brushed the odd feeling off and believed he was just exaggerating.

 

A few minutes later, Gladio was walking toward him, blade in hand. “You ready?” asked the shield.

 

“Yeah!” Sora got up and readied his keyblade. “I'm guessing you went back for your sword?”

 

Gladio gave the boy a confused look. “What are you talking about? I just got here.”

 

Now it was Sora's turn to be confused. “But you were here a few minutes ago. We were talking about the keyholes and Riku and the heartless.”

 

“Keyholes?”

 

“Yeah. You asked how to get rid of the heartless here and I told you that I had to seal the keyhole on this world.”

 

Gladio shook his head. “Sora, I just got here. I wasn't here a while ago. I don't even know what a keyhole is, besides the ones on doors.”

 

“But -” Sora stopped.

 

_But Gladio was here. I saw him with my own eyes. He was here._

 

Then again, he did realize that the shield had been acting differently when they had talked.

 

Sora shook his head and got into a fighting stance. “Never mind. The heat's probably just messing with me. Let's do this!”

 

Gladio smirked and readied his own blade.

 

Still, Sora couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

 

_If that wasn't Gladio, then who was I talking to?_

 

 

 

 

 

“I definitely won.”

 

“Hell no, I did.”

 

“How do you know?!”

 

“Cause I've been fighting much longer than you.”

 

“Yeah? How long then?”

 

“Thirteen years.”

 

Any retort that Sora was going to make died on his tongue. Instead, he pouted and sat down on the sand.

 

Gladio chuckled. “What about you?”

 

“I started learning when I was around 12 so that would make it three years,” Sora mumbled.

 

Gladio laughed. “Don't worry kid. You did a great job for someone who's only been fighting for three years.” Gladio sat down next to him.

 

Sora smiled at this comment. “Thanks.”

 

It was quite for a while, but the silence wasn't awkward. It was peaceful and relaxing.

 

“Tell me about your friends. What are they like?” asked the shield.

 

“Riku's a year older than me, and he's also much taller,” Sora mumbled the last part. “He has long silver hair and part of it covers his face. His eyes are a very bright blue, basically the color of the ocean. I've always looked up to Riku. He's the older brother I've never had. We grew up together and have been inseparable ever since.” Sora paused and looked at the ocean. “He blames himself for a lot of things that have happened though. He doesn't think he deserves me or Kairi. He's wrong though. He's done so much for us and yeah, he's made mistakes, but he's only human. He's fixed those mistakes and he's still shown that he cares about us. He's the strongest person I know.” Sora teared up. “And now … now he's gone.”

 

Gladio saw a few tears escape the boy's eyes. He put a hand on his shoulder. “We'll find him Sora and if he's as strong as you say he is, then he'll be alright,” the shield said with certainty.

 

Sora looked at Gladio. “We?”

 

“Yeah, we. We're not gonna let you face this alone. And if the others can't help, then I will. I'm sure Noct could go without his shield for some time.”

 

The face that Sora gave Gladio was one that he had seen before. He had seen it when he had given Iris a moogle plushie when she was six years old. She had looked at him with those big brown eyes as if he was everything to her. That's how Sora was looking at him right now.

 

Then, Sora hugged him. This caught Gladio completely off guard. He wasn't a hugger at all. The only person he usually hugged was his sister. However, the way Sora was hugging him felt similar to the way Iris would hug him.

 

So Gladio accepted the hug and returned it.

 

However, their bonding moment didn't last, for it was interrupted by the sound of a shutter going off.

 

“Awwww, how cute!”

 

Gladio grumbled and noticed how the teen tensed up in his arms. He slowly let go and patted the boy's shoulder. “You want to go somewhere else?”

 

Sora shook his head. “No. I don't want you to be away from your friends. I'll be fine.” The boy gave Gladio an unconvincing smile.

 

“So Sora, are you up for some fishing?” asked the prince who held a fishing rod.

 

“Of course I am!” Sora stood up and followed Noctis to the fishing pier.

 

Prompto was about to follow when Gladio held him back. “Why don't we give them some space?”

 

Prompto gave Gladio a quizzical look. “Space?”

 

“I believe what Gladio is trying to say is that it would be nice to give them some time alone. Your bond with Sora is strong already, so why not let the two strengthen theirs?” Ignis suggested.

 

“Hmmmm, I guess that makes sense,” replied the blonde. “Doesn't mean I can't snap a few pics from a distance.”

 

Ignis chuckled and led the two away from Noctis and Sora.

 

 

 

 

 

Sora was listening attentively to Noctis as he demonstrated how to reel in a fish with his fishing rod. He was excited to learn something new, especially when it had to do with one of his favorite hobbies.

 

“And remember, if you feel like there's too much tension on the line, stop reeling,” said Noctis as he reeled in a medium sized blue fish. “Think you're ready to try it out?”

 

“Heck yes!” said Sora.

 

Noctis handed Sora the rod. The boy took it eagerly and searched the water for a good spot to cast the line. Once he found the perfect spot, he cast the line and waited.

 

“Soooo, anyone special waiting for you at home?” asked Noctis.

 

“Of course! Kairi, Selphie, Tidas-”

 

“That's not what I meant Sora,” the prince chuckled.

 

Sora looked up at the prince, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

 

Noctis considered how he would rephrase the question. Sure, he could just ask Sora if he had a significant other back home, but that might cause him to shy away from the question.

 

“I mean, is there anyone extremely special to you waiting at home? Like someone who is constantly on your mind, someone you feel extremely happy with?”

 

“Ohhhhh. Well, in that case, Kairi!”

 

Noctis noticed how the boy's eyes lit up when he said Kairi's name. “Kairi huh?”

 

Sora nodded. “She's great! I think you'd really like her. She's kind, brave, selfless … not to mention that she's a princess of heart.”

 

“A what?”

 

Sora couldn't answer Noctis' question right away because he felt a tug on the line. “Whoah! I think I got something!”

 

Noctis watched as he worked to reel in the fish. The teen didn't seem to have much trouble at all. In fact, he was a natural at fishing.

 

Once Sora reeled in his catch, he held up the fish proudly. It was a decent size with yellow scales. “Great job Sora,” Noctis said as he patted the boy's back. “Wanna give it another go? See if you can catch something bigger?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Noctis helped Sora re-spool the line, and then the brunette cast the line.

 

“So what's a princess of heart?” asked the raven.

 

“A princess of heart is basically someone with a heart filled with light. They don't have any darkness in their hearts at all,” replied Sora.

 

“That's good, right?”

 

Sora nodded. “There are only seven princesses of heart. They're in different worlds and each have the power to open the door to darkness, but they also have other abilities too. Like when I turned into a heartless, Kairi turned me back into a human.”

 

“Wait, you were a heartless?!”

 

“Yeah. I had to lose my heart in order to release Kairi's. Her heart was inside me.”

 

“You sacrificed yourself for her.”

 

“I guess you could say that, but I'm fine now.”

 

“Please tell me that you've told this girl how you feel about her.”

 

Sora just blinked up at Noctis. “Ummmm … no?”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Cause she doesn't feel the same way!”

 

“Sora, has she ever gone out of the way for you?”

 

“Hmmmmm, well she did risk her life by traveling to different worlds and getting caught by the Organization to see me.”

 

Noctis sighed and face palmed. “Dude, it's obvious that she likes you. You guys are just dancing around each other.”

 

“Oh yeah! Well, you shouldn't be talking!”

 

Noctis chuckled. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Oh you know what I'm talking about _Your Majesty_!”

 

Noctis looked at Sora, confused. “Ummm, I actually don't.”

 

The teen stared at Noctis. “Wow. You're oblivious and in denial.”

 

“Seriously, what are you talking about?”

 

Sora huffed. “You and your best friend, Noctis! You guys are like, pining after each other!”

 

Noctis looked shocked but chuckled nonetheless. “Whoah, whoah. There is nothing going on between me and Prompto.”

 

Sora flinched at the blonde's name and rolled his eyes at Noctis. “Obviously, especially with the way you two dance around each other. It's physically painful to watch the two of you.”

 

“Sora, we're just really close, that's all.”

 

Sora smirked. “You know, you haven't denied that you have feelings for him.”

 

Noctis looked taken aback. Then, he regained his composure. “I don't like Prompto that way, and vice versa. There, you happy?”

 

Sora smiled. “Yep, because now I know that you really do like him. You're not a very good liar, you know that?”

 

Noctis groaned and hid his face in his hands. Sora laughed and turned his attention to the line that was being tugged. Sora struggled with reeling the fish in.

 

“Uhhh Noct? A little help here?”

 

“Oh no, you're on your own.”

 

“Awww, someone's butthurt cause -”

 

_SPLASH!_

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I still do not see why this is necessary.”

 

“Unless you want me to ruin their bonding time, then let me do this!”

 

“I understand that, but what I don't understand is why Gladio is doing it too.”

 

“Cause I've got nothing better to do.”

 

Ignis was lying underneath piles of sand with only his head sticking out. Prompto and Gladio were busy shaping a seashell bra where his chest should be. The only reason Ignis had agreed to this was because Prompto said that he would stay away from Sora and Noctis if the adviser would allow the blonde to do this. At some point, Gladio started helping Prompto which only made Ignis more irritated and embarrassed.

 

They were a good fifty feet away from Sora and Noctis. Ignis and Gladio had silently agreed to make it their job to give Sora the space he needed. They didn't want another repeat of what happened last night.

 

Prompto suddenly stopped shaping Ignis' sandy breasts when he heard a loud splash behind him in the distance. He turned around and noticed that Sora was gone but Noctis was laughing.

 

“Guys, I think Sora fell in the water,” the blonde announced. He picked up his camera and zoomed into Noctis' face. He snapped a few pictures until the raven's face turned into one of concern. He was saying something while looking into the water. Prompto realized that Sora hadn't resurfaced yet.

 

“Guys, I think something's wrong with Sora.”

 

Another splash was heard as Noctis jumped into the water, jacket discarded on the pier.

 

Without a second thought, Prompto dashed to their location. Ignis and Gladio cried out to Prompto telling him to stop, but of course, the blonde didn't listen. His friend was in trouble and he wasn't just going to stand around and wait for something bad to happen to him.

 

The blonde ran into the water and realized that he had no idea where to start looking. Suddenly, a mop of black hair popped up from the water a few feet away from him.

 

“Noct!” the blonde called out as he ran and eventually swam to the raven.

 

“Prompto! I – I don't know where Sora is! He was tugged in by something!” said Noctis who was panicking.

 

“We'll find him Noct! We will! I know we will! We have to!”

 

And with that said, the two went underwater and began to look for the teen. Prompto began swimming deeper into the sea. He then noticed that some of the water had a red tint to it.

 

_Oh no, that can't be good._

 

He followed the red and eventually came upon Sora, floating in the water, unconscious, with blood coming out from his head.

 

_He must have hit his head on something._

 

Prompto wrapped an arm around Sora's waist and swam up until both their heads were out of the water. The blonde swam to a worried Ignis and Gladio, who were standing near the shoreline.

 

Once he reached them, he placed Sora on the sand. “Where's Noctis?” asked the blonde.

 

“I'm right here.” A soaking Noctis came up behind Prompto and stood next to him.

 

“I'm gonna do some chest compressions,” said Prompto.

 

“I don't think -” Gladio was too late however because Prompto had knelt down and started them on the teen.

 

After a few seconds, Sora coughed up water and opened his eyes. Unfortunately, the first person he saw was Prompto.

 

“You alright Sora?” asked Prompto.

 

Sora looked at Prompto in shock. He saw the blonde's face slowly morph into the one from his nightmare.

 

The teen sat up, rage and fear in his eyes. “Get away from me!”

 

Prompto was confused. “Wha – Sora?”

 

“I said GET AWAY?”

 

Prompto took a few steps back. Sora stood up and summoned his keyblade. “I know what you are monster!”

 

“Monster?”

 

“Don't try to deny it! I know the darkness inside your heart, the evil that's corrupting you!”

 

Noctis looked extremely confused while Gladio and Ignis became even more worried than ever.

 

“Sora, buddy, please! Let's just try to talk this out okay?”

 

However, only one thought was racing through Prompto's mind.

 

_He knows._

 

“No! I'm going to put an end to you before you hurt any of my friends!”

 

Sora charged at Prompto. The blonde was too shocked to defend himself, so Noctis stepped in front of him and blocked Sora's attack with his engine blade.

 

“Sora! What are you doing?!” asked Noctis.

 

“Get out of the way Noct! He's dangerous!” replied Sora.

 

“No he's not! What's gotten into you?! How hard did you hit your head?!”

 

“My head is perfectly fine. You guys might not be able to see the darkness in him, but I can! And I will put a stop to him!”

 

“Well I'm not gonna let you.”

 

“I wasn't asking.”

 

Sora used aeroga, which summoned a whirlwind that sucked in Noctis and threw him a good distance away from them. Gladio and Ignis ran to help the raven. Once Noctis was out of the way, Sora struck Prompto with the keyblade and sent him falling on his back.

 

Prompto lifted his upper body from the ground and looked at Sora. “Please Sora! I would never hurt my friends! I would never hurt anyone!”

 

“Shut up liar! I'll never forgive you for what you did to them! For what you did to Kairi!”

 

“Kairi? What the -” Prompto rolled to the side to avoid another one of Sora's attacks. He was about to stand up when he received a punch to the left side of his face. He was dazed for a few seconds but managed to shake it off.

 

“You've been lying to us this whole time … about who you are, or should I say what you are!”

 

“Please Sora, I can explain!”

 

“I don't want an explanation! What I want is you dead!”

 

Sora raised his keyblade for the killing blow. Prompto's eyes went wide at what he saw, because what he was looking at wasn't Sora.

 

The teen had yellow eyes instead of his cerulean ones. His face was full of anger and rage. The blood dripping down from his head only made him more terrifying.

 

As Sora was about to deal the final blow, he was struck with a thunder spell that had him falling to the floor and convulsing. Prompto saw Ignis standing with another thunder spell in his hand. Noctis was running to them with Gladio following.

 

Prompto was breathing heavily. He was shaking with fear and tears had pooled up in his eyes. He didn't even bother to stand up. He just let his head hit the sand and he covered his face, for he didn't want his friends to see him cry.

 

Once Noctis reached the blonde, he threw himself on the sand and hugged him. Prompto clung on to the raven and sobbed because he was scared that he had almost died. He was scared because Sora hated him.

 

He was scared because Sora knew what he was.

 

Noctis' upper body was lying on top of Prompto, but neither of them minded. Noctis held Prompto as if he was the most fragile and most precious thing in the world.

 

“It's alright Prom. He can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now. You're safe with me,” Noctis whispered to the blonde.

 

Prompto buried his face into the crook of the raven's neck. Noctis felt tears drip down his neck and had to repress a shudder at the feeling. Suddenly, Noctis felt the presence of another on the side of his face.

 

“Noct, Gladio and I are going to return to the room with Sora. He is unconscious right now from the shock but we will make sure that he is alright,” Ignis whispered quietly to Noctis.

 

The prince was about to retort and tell Ignis that he should be worrying over Prompto and not Sora but decided not to at the end. There were already enough problems going on at the moment.

 

“We will explain everything when you two return,” Ignis said as he left.

 

Noctis was confused by this. What was there to explain? It was pretty clear what had just happened. His new friend had just attacked his best friend. There was nothing left to explain. In fact, Noctis was pretty pissed at Sora at the moment, but he didn't let it get the best of him. Prompto needed him after all.

 

After a few minutes, the two slowly let go of each other and sat up. Prompto let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes.

 

“What do you need Prom?” asked Noctis.

 

“I … I wanna go back to the room,” responded Prompto.

 

Noctis raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Sora's there.”

 

Prompto nodded. “I'm sure. I need to know why this happened. I'm not gonna have our friendship go to waste over this.”

 

“But Prom, he wanted to kill you and he was pretty close to doing it too.”

 

“Noct, I felt what he was feeling. He was scared and angry. He wasn't acting like himself. I'm gonna find out why and I'm gonna help him get through this.”

 

And it was at that moment, while Noctis was staring into the determined blonde's violet blue eyes, swollen, puffy, and red from all the crying, that he realized Sora was right about his feelings for his best friend.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Let me go in first. You stay behind me.”

 

“Noct, it's fine.”

 

Please Prom. Just let me. I'll feel more comfortable this way.”

 

Prompto let out a breath. “Alright.”

 

Noctis stepped into their room, Prompto following closely behind, and surveyed the space. Sora was sitting on the edge of his bed, barefoot, covering his face. Ignis was sitting next to him, trying to get the teen to drink what Noctis assumed was hot tea. Gladio was standing next to Noctis and Prompto's bed, arms crossed, looking at Sora with concern.

 

Once Noctis closed the door, Ignis and Gladio looked in his direction. “Noctis. Prompto. Right now is not really a good time,” said Ignis.

 

“I tried telling Prompto that but he insisted on coming here,” said Noctis.

 

Ignis and Gladio looked at the blonde surprised.

 

“Is … is he okay?” asked Prompto.

 

“He's having some anxiety right now and a bit of a headache,” replied the adviser. “I've tried getting him to drink this herbal tea to calm the nerves but he refuses.”

 

Prompto slowly walked to Ignis and through some form of silent communication, Ignis nodded and gave Prompto the mug. The adviser got up from the bed and Prompto took his place.

 

“Hey Sora,” Prompto said quietly.

 

The teen stilled at the sound of the blonde's voice. He slowly looked up at him. At the sight of Prompto, Sora looked terrified and began to scoot away from him.

 

“St – Stay back! Please. I don't want to hurt you again!” pleaded Sora.

 

Prompto smiled. “You're not gonna hurt me again Sora. You're my friend.”

 

Sora shook his head. “No no. You should hate me. You should all hate me! I could've killed you!” Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

 

Prompto scooted closer to Sora. The teen could not believe what he was doing. “Prompto, what are you -” The blonde placed a hand on his.

 

“I trust you Sora. You're my friend. You're not gonna hurt me.”

 

Sora let a few tears fall down his cheeks. “I'm so sorry Prompto. I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear I didn't. I just lost control. I didn't mean anything I said. I wasn't myself.”

 

“I know buddy. I know and that's okay. Why don't you tell me what's going on? I want to help in any way I can.”

 

Sora chuckled. “I should be the one helping you.”

 

“Hey, it's gonna take a lot more than that to put me down.”

 

Sora let a small smile grace his lips. He looked at Noctis. “Both of you deserve an explanation. I just hope I can get through it all.”

 

“And if not, we're here to help,” said Gladio.

 

Sora took a deep breath and began to explain the nightmare he had. When he got to the part of the dream where Prompto came in, the teen couldn't talk anymore. Prompto handed Sora the tea and rubbed his back while Gladio and Ignis explained the rest. Prompto was shocked at this evil version of himself and Noctis seemed surprised that there could be such a thing as an evil version of Prompto. Once Ignis and Gladio finished, Noctis sat next to Sora.

 

“It was just a dream Sora. It didn't mean anything. I have nightmares too but that's all they are. They never actually happen,” said Noctis.

 

“It got one thing right though,” said Sora. “I lost myself. I was consumed by hatred and rage and I just – I was evil.”

 

“No, you weren't,” Prompto said in a determined voice.

 

“But Prompto I -”

 

“No. Sora, you were not and have never been evil.”

 

“He's right,” agreed Noctis. “Doing something bad doesn't make you a bad person. We've all had rough times where we've lost ourselves.”

 

“But having good friends at your side makes getting through the tough times much easier,” Prompto said with a smile as he looked at the raven. “And plus, you didn't have the silver hair or the yellow eyes.”

 

Sora chuckled at this. “That's true.”

 

“So how about this? Why don't you finish your tea and take a nap to relax for a while? After that, we can watch a movie or something on Iggy's laptop, if it's okay with him,” suggested the blonde.

 

“Of course,” said Ignis.

 

The teen nodded. “Okay.”

 

Sora drank the tea and knocked out on the bed. Prompto took a shower to get rid of all the sand, sweat, and blood. The blood came from scratches and cuts so it wasn't anything major. After his shower, he looked in the mirror and realized that he was starting to get a black eye.

 

Prompto just chuckled. “That kid sure can pack a punch.”

 

He got dressed, untangled his hair, and stepped out of the bathroom. Noctis walked up to him instantly and started touching the skin around the black eye that was forming.

 

“Prom, your eye.”

 

“It's okay Noct. At least we know that Sora can handle his own.”

 

Prompto was trying to lighten the mood but Noctis remained concerned. “And plus, now I'll look tough with a black eye.”

 

Noctis did laugh at this. He shook his head and pulled the blonde in for a hug. “I'm so glad you're okay Prom.”

 

Prompto returned the hug. “Me too Noct. Me too.”

 

 

 

 

 

When Sora woke up from his nap, it was already late in the evening. Ignis ordered room service and everyone watched a movie of Sora's choice on Ignis' laptop. He chose _Rise of the Guardians_. Noctis laughed at his movie choice but Sora claimed that he wanted to watch it because of Santa.

 

“Santa is not Russian in real life,” Sora had said during the movie.

 

“What do you mean in real life?” asked the prince.

 

“I met him in Christmas Town.”

 

“You're joking right?”

 

“No! Santa is real! I saved him from Maleficent and Oogie Boogie!”

 

Everyone just stared at Sora incredulously. Noctis wanted to burst out laughing. Sora just rolled his eyes.

 

“Never mind.”

 

As the movie progressed, Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto got more into the story and started debating over which character was the best. This continued even after the movie finished.

 

“I don't care what you say! Jack Frost is the most awesome guardian and deserves more love in his life!” stated Prompto.

 

“Yes! Thank you Prompto!” agreed Noctis.

 

“No no. Bunny is! Did you see his fighting skills? He's a bad ass!” said Gladio.

 

“I am going to have to disagree with all of you, for the Sandman is by far the best one. Without him, the guardians would have never defeated the Boogey Man,” Ignis said.

 

“Oh hell no!” the blonde disagreed.

 

“Sora, please tell Gladio and Ignis that Jack reins supreme,” said Noctis.

 

Sora looked at everyone with big eyes. “Ummm, well, I actually think that each one of them have their own unique qualities that make them special. When they all work together, they're unstoppable. I guess they're all pretty cool,” replied Sora.

 

Everyone was quiet, taking in what Sora just said. “Damn it Sora! Now we can't officially choose a favorite anymore!” said Prompto.

 

Sora just looked at everyone innocently and shrugged. “Ugh! Why is he so adorable?! He's an innocent child!” exclaimed the blonde. “Sora's our sleeping buddy tonight!”

 

Sora laughed and got up to get ready for bed.

 

“He's sleeping between us though,” said the raven. “I don't want you kicking me in your sleep again.”

 

 

 

 

 

Noctis woke up in the middle of the night to find Prompto gone. He got up and looked around the room, but there was no sign of the blonde. He eventually found him on the balcony, leaning against the railing. He was looking out at the night sky intently.

 

Noctis walked up to him and leaned against the rail as well. “Hey.”

 

“Hey,” the blonde greeted, still looking at the sky.

 

“Whatcha doin' out here?”

 

“Just needed some air.”

 

Noctis was looking at Prompto, trying to figure out if he was lying or not. He couldn't tell because he looked genuinely at peace staring at the sky.

 

“The stars sure are beautiful, aren't they Noct?”

 

The raven smiled, eyes never leaving Prompto. “Yeah, they are.”

 

Noctis scooted closer to the blonde and shoved him lightly with his shoulder. “What's on your mind?”

 

Prompto breathed out and looked to the prince. “I have to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell Sora,”

 

“Alright ...”

 

Prompto looked up at the sky again. “I lied to him.”

 

“You lied to him?”

 

Prompto looked down at his hands and nodded.

 

“I'm sure he won't mind after what happened today. The poor kid still feels guilty as hell. A lie is the least of his problems.”

 

The blonde turned to his friend. “You don't understand Noct.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Prompto lowered his voice. “When he was about to kill me, I looked into his eyes.”

 

“Okay ...”

 

Prompto grabbed the raven by the shoulders.

 

“Noct, they were yellow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this fic so far my beautiful peoples!


	8. A Light Amongst the Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead!  
> Just very very busy. Becoming an adult will do that to you.  
> *shudders*  
> Anyway, here is a long awaited chapter. I'll go punish myself in the corner now.

_"A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory...a far-off memory that's like a scattered dream...I want to line the pieces up...yours and mine."_

                                                 

                                                                                                                                                    - Sora, Kingdom Hearts 2

  
  


  
  


  
  


 

 

 

“Specs! Specs, wake up!”

 

The adviser stirred from his slumber to see Noctis' face hovering over him.

 

“What is it Noct? It's … what time is it?”

 

“It's 3:27 in the morning,” replied Prompto in a hushed tone.

 

“What are you two doing up at this time?” Ignis asked as he rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

 

“We need to talk to you and Gladio,” responded the prince.

 

“Can't it wait until morning?”

 

“If it could, we wouldn't be waking you up at this hour,” said Prompto.

 

Ignis sat up and looked to his right. He realized that Gladio was still sleeping.

 

“Why haven't you woken up Gladio yet?”

 

Noctis and Prompto looked at each other for a second, then back at Ignis.

 

“We don't know how to wake him up without facing his wrath,” said the blonde.

 

Ignis sighed and shook his head. He gently put his hand on Gladio's shoulder and shook it slowly.

 

“Gladio,” Ignis whispered. “Wake up.”

 

The shield grumbled and turned to face Ignis but didn't open his eyes yet.

 

“What is it?” Gladio asked in a raspy voice.

 

“Apparently Noctis and Prompto need to discuss something important with us.”

 

“And it can't wait till morning?”

 

“Unfortunately, no.”

 

“Ugh, alright.” Gladio sat up and stretched his arms. “So what's so important that you have to wake us up at three in the morning?”

 

“Not here. Let's talk outside so Sora won't wake up,” Noctis said.

 

The three made their way to the balcony. They all took a seat. Ignis was the only one who had covered himself in a blanket, claiming that he didn't want to get sick from the cold air.

 

“So, what did you need to talk to us about?” asked a slightly grumpy Gladio.

 

“It's about what happened earlier today with Sora,” replied Prompto who was twiddling his thumbs.

 

“I thought we sorted the matter out with Sora,” said Ignis.

 

“We did, but … it's just that ...”

 

“There's something else that happened during the fight,” Noctis said.

 

“What do you mean?” asked the shield.

 

“Well, you know that nightmare Sora had? How he said that he had yellow eyes and silver hair?” asked the blonde.

 

Ignis and Gladio nodded.

 

Prompto took a deep breath. “When Sora was about to … to kill me, I looked into his eyes and saw that they were yellow.”

 

Both men sat in their seats, thinking over what Prompto just told them. Noctis remained patient while Prompto was shaking his leg, nervous about what they would have to say on the matter. What if they decided that Sora was too dangerous for them to be around? Would they have to leave him? Prompto couldn't bear the thought of leaving the boy by himself, especially on a world that he just got to and didn't understand.

 

“I knew it.”

 

The sound of Gladio's voice interrupted Prompto's thoughts.

 

“Knew what?” asked Noctis.

 

“When Sora first mentioned the dream, I was afraid it might be some sort of omen, and it turns out I was right.”

 

The prince rolled his eyes. “Here we go again with this.”

 

“Well it's true.”

 

“How so?” Noctis crossed his arms.

 

“Your dreams Noct.”

 

“My dreams?”

 

“They're basically telling you about the prophecy.”

 

“No no. I was just having nightmares from all the stress of the prophecy!”

 

“Gladio just may be right, Noct,” said Ignis.

 

Noctis shook his head in disbelief. “Not you too.”

 

“The gods could be showing you what may become of the world if you follow through with your role or not.”

 

Noctis scoffed at the men's remarks. Prompto hummed to himself as a means of keeping himself busy and not being talked to. This, however, did quite the opposite.

 

“What about you Prom?” asked the raven.

 

The blonde looked to the prince. “What about me?”

 

“What do you think?”

 

Prompto sighed. “You're not gonna like what I have to say.”

 

Noctis rolled his eyes. “Well, might as well say it now that I have an idea of who's side you're on.” Noctis smirked.

 

“Noct, it can't be a coincidence that Sora had a dream where he was a different person - an evil version of himself – and he became like that in reality, even if it was just for a short time.”

 

Noctis considered all this for a moment. He had to admit that they did have a point and their theory did make sense. There was only one thing that he didn't understand …

 

“If the gods were showing me an outcome of the prophecy through my dreams, then who or what is showing Sora this evil version of himself in his dreams?”

 

“Maybe it's the gods trying to warn him?” suggested Prompto.

 

Gladio shook his head. “The gods have nothing to do with Sora. He doesn't even know who they are and he isn't a part of our world remember?”

 

“Hmmm, I don't know ...”

 

“So you think it's someone or something that Sora has encountered before?” asked Noctis.

 

“That would be more reasonable. If Sora had a connection to this person, it would make sense how they were able to contact him through his dreams,” said Ignis.

 

“But who is powerful enough to connect with him across worlds?” asked Gladio. “And with power like that, let's hope that they're one of the good guys.”

 

Noctis crossed his arms. “They'd have to be some sort of god.”

 

“Or someone trying to be one,” added Ignis.

 

Everyone was quiet as they thought over Ignis' words. Was it even possible for someone to achieve that type of power? And if so, what would they do with it once they had it? No one with that much power could possibly be sane.

 

Eventually, Prompto decided to break the silence. “So you think we should try to investigate Sora's past confrontations?”

 

“Not just confrontations. Remember, whoever is contacting him could be an ally of his,” answered Ignis.

 

“And we're just supposed to ask him what baddies he's fought or what powerful people he's friends with?” the prince asked in disbelief.

 

“We mustn't inform Sora about this discussion. If he knows that his dream is a possible omen, then he will only try to prevent that scenario from happening which, in turn, could actually lead to his demise.”

 

“And ours apparently,” scoffed the shield.

 

“Yay for keeping secrets,” cheered a sarcastic Prompto.

 

Ignis turned to look at the blonde. “I don't like this as much as you do, but for the sake of Sora's safety, and our own, we must keep this from him for now.”

 

“And how are we supposed to get info from him without actually giving ourselves away?”

 

“Easy. Sora says he's been to different worlds, so we just ask him about his travels out of sheer curiosity,” replied Noctis.

 

“That's – that's actually not a bad idea,”commented Gladio.

 

Noctis rolled his eyes and continued. “Sora is now part of our journey. He's our friend -”

 

“Son!” interrupted Gladio.

 

Noctis glared at Gladio for a couple of seconds. “As I was saying, Sora is our friend and we've gotta have his back. Now, I know keeping this a secret from him is risky, but it's for his own good. We don't tell him anything about this until we're absolutely sure about what's going on. Is that clear?”

 

“Yes, your highness,” responded Ignis.

 

Gladio nodded in understanding. Prompto said nothing as he twiddled his thumbs, looking troubled.

 

“Prom?”

 

The blonde looked up at the prince. “Sorry. Just … a little unsure of all this that's all.” He sighed. “I don't like keeping things from my friends, but if it will help Sora, then I'll do it.”

 

Ignis yawned while he stood up from his seat. “Then it's settled. Sora shall not hear a word about this and we must get as much information about his past travels as possible.”

 

Gladio stood up. “Alright, now can we go back to bed?”

 

Noctis nodded in response. Gladio and Ignis returned to the room while Prompto and Noctis remained outside. Noctis got up and leaned against the side of Prompto's seat.

 

“This is really bugging you, huh?” asked the raven.

 

“Noct, it's just that I have this feeling that something terrible is gonna happen from all this. It can't be a coincidence that Sora is here.”

 

“Now you sound like Ignis.”

 

“I mean it Noct. How will this affect our journey?”

 

“Prom, we all know what's gonna happen at the end of the prophecy. Does it really matter what happens along the way? What matters is how this whole thing is gonna end. Don't worry Prom.” Noctis squeezed the blonde's shoulder before walking back into the room.

 

Prompto was left staring at the direction his best friend walked in.

 

“But it does matter Noct, cause that's the way I'm going to remember you.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

_He was standing in a field of beautiful blue flowers. The flowers carried a calming aroma that had him wanting to curl up and fall asleep on the earth. The field went on for miles. It was never ending._

 

_Sora knew he was dreaming. He knew that this wasn't real. What he didn't know was why he was dreaming this._

 

_In the distance, he saw a lone figure of a … girl? She had blonde hair and she was wearing a white dress. Sora stepped closer to the figure._

 

“ _Namine?”_

 

_He closed his eyes and reached out to her. When he opened his eyes, she stood right before him._

 

_This wasn't Namine._

 

_This was a woman he had never met before. She held his face in her hands tenderly and smiled down at him._

 

“ _Hello. Who might you be?” she asked._

 

_Sora couldn't stop staring at her. She was absolutely beautiful. She had an aura of peace and serenity surrounding her and her blue eyes seemed like they carried a lot of wisdom._

 

_She looked like an angel, a goddess._

 

_Once Sora finally processed her question, he answered, “Sora.”_

 

_The woman smiled a little more. “Sora. A boy carrying the name of the sky. You have come.”_

 

_Sora was confused at her last statement but didn't say anything. He couldn't. He felt almost insignificant in her presence._

 

“ _Noctis. A prince carrying the name of the night.”_

 

_Sora wanted to ask her how she knew Noctis but decided not to. Something told him that he didn't have much time left with her._

 

“ _Sora. A boy carrying the weight of the world. A boy with a big heart. A boy with a big burden.”_

 

_The woman wiped a tear that fell from Sora's eye. He didn't even realize he was crying until then._

 

“ _Do not cry Warrior of the Keyblade, for a storm is coming and you must be prepared for it.”_

 

_Suddenly, the petals on all the flowers around the two flew into the air. The petals spun around them._

 

“ _Please, tell Noctis that I am fine and will be waiting for him. Please deliver my message when you wake up, Sora.”_

 

_The woman bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Sora's forehead._

 

“ _Darkness shall not touch you. You are brave and strong. Until we meet again, Sora.”_

 

_And with that, the woman let go of Sora's face and stepped back from him._

 

“ _Wait!” Sora finally spoke._

 

_The woman stopped and stared at the boy, waiting for him to continue._

 

“ _Who are you?”_

 

_The woman smiled brightly. “I am Lunafreya.”_

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sora woke up with a jolt. He was panting for breath. Not to say he was scared or panicking, rather he was surprised. Someone he had never met before, someone with a powerful and pure energy had visited him in his dream. And he had a message to deliver for her.

 

It was in that moment that he finally took in the scene before him. Everyone else was already awake but they seemed quiet and in a contemplative state. Ignis was on his laptop, typing frantically. Gladio was on his phone talking to someone. Prompto was trying to comfort Noctis, who seemed very angry by the clenching of his fists. Sora also noticed a newspaper on the floor that was teared into many pieces.

 

Sora got out of bed and slowly took a few steps toward the boys. “What's going on?”

 

Apparently that was the wrong question to ask.

 

“Going on? You wanna know what's going on?!” exclaimed a furious Noctis as he took a step toward the brunette.

 

Prompto got in front of the prince and held him by the shoulders. “Easy Noct. Sora just asked a normal question, that's all.”

 

Noctis deflated. “I – I know Prom. I know -” The raven's voice broke into a sob and he buried his face into the blonde's shoulder. Prompto held onto his friend and did everything he could to provide comfort.

 

Sora wanted to help Noctis but he couldn't until he knew what had happened while he was asleep. He walked up to Gladio as he ended his call, seeing as the adviser was still busy on his laptop.

 

“Gladio, what happened?”

 

Gladio ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Insomnia has fallen.”

 

“What?” the boy asked in shock.

 

“The Empire took over the city.” The shield shook his head. “It was supposed to be a peace treaty signing and they took advantage of the event. They -” He looked toward the raven who still had his face buried in Prompto's shoulder but his sobs had quieted down. “The king and Lady Lunafreya are dead.”

 

At the mention of the woman, Sora perked up, but only a little. Perhaps the news he carried would relieve Noctis a little.

 

“Lunafreya is alright!” Sora announced.

 

Everyone looked at the boy as if he had gone mad.

 

“What?” Noctis croaked.

 

“Lunafreya is alive! She – she visited me in a dream just last night! She told me to tell you that she's fine and waiting for you!”

 

Noctis was extremely surprised by this information. “You're – you're serious?”

 

Sora nodded frantically. “She was blonde and beautiful! And – and she was wearing this long white dress! And her eyes were blue and she was also wearing this little necklace that had a crescent moon hanging on the chain!”

 

Noctis slowly pulled away from Prompto. “That's – that's Luna! She's alive! She's alive!” Noctis ran to Sora and hugged him. He lifted the boy off the ground and spun him in the air.

 

After a few moments, Noctis put the boy down and composed himself. “Did – did she say if anyone else made it out of the city?”

 

Sora shook his head. “No Noct, I'm sorry.”

 

The prince's shoulders slumped and he looked down at the floor as if it had all the answers to the countless questions plaguing his mind. “Don't worry Sora. It's not like you did anything wrong.”

 

“I know, but I wish I had something better to tell you.”

 

“Hey, you assured me that Luna is alright and safe. That's more good news than I was expecting.” The raven offered the boy a slight smile.

 

“Question,” Prompto said as he raised his hand. “Why didn't Lady Lunafreya contact Noctis in his dreams? Why Sora?”

 

“That is rather odd,” commented Ignis. “We will just have to ask her when we see her.”

 

Noctis, now looking more determined than somber, said, “He's right. We can't afford to waste anymore time in Lucis. We've got to get to Altissia.”

 

“Unfortunately, Altissia and Lady Lunafreya will have to wait,” said Ignis.

 

“What?” Noctis asked, disbelief in his tone.

 

“You must forge a covenant with the Archaean first.”

 

“Isn't it enough that I have the power of the royal arms?”

 

“While the royal arms do provide an immense amount of power, they will not give you all the power to fulfill the prophecy Noct.”

 

“Wait, so if Lady Lunafreya is waiting for Noct in Altissia, that means -”

 

“She's going to forge a covenant with Leviathan,” Gladio interrupted Prompto.

 

“Noct, You've gotta forge one with the Archaean now. You can't show up in Altissia without it while Lady Lunafreya is preparing to forge another one with Leviathan,” mentioned Prompto.

 

Throughout this conversation, Sora tried to understand what was being discussed. He figured out that they were talking about some sort of powerful people or beings but he had no idea what they meant by “forging a covenant” with them.

 

Sora slowly raised his hand and instantly gained everyone's attention. “What the heck are you guys talking about?”

 

Everyone stared at the brunette as if just realizing he was still in the room, oblivious to what was going on.

 

Ignis pushed up his glasses. “Before we can go to Altissia, Noct must forge a covenant with the Archaen, that is to say he must form a type of contract or bond.”

 

“Who or what is this Archaen?” asked Sora.

 

“The Archaen is an Astral, a god who has watched over Eos for thousands of years,” Ignis paused and let the information sink in for a few moments before continuing. “By forging a covenant with an Astral, Noctis will be able to call upon them to aid him in battle and support him throughout his journey.”

 

“That seems very complicated.”

 

“Let's just hope it's easier than it sounds,” said Noctis.

 

Gladio chuckled. “Nothing is ever easy with the gods.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Three hours later and Sora found himself helping Ignis prepare dinner. They had settled down at a campsite near The Disc of Cauthess, where the Archaen was waiting. Sora was chopping up onions while Ignis was stirring what appeared to be some sort of stew in a big pot. Gladio was currently doing push ups while Noctis was taking pictures of Prompto doing ridiculous poses with his gun.

 

“Do they always do that?” the boy asked as he finished chopping.

 

“Unfortunately, yes,” Ignis responded as he took the chopped onions and dumped them into the stew. The aroma coming from the pot was amazing and Sora's mouth watered. He didn't know when he last had a home cooked meal.

 

“Why don't you aid Prompto and Noct with their...photo shoot? I'm sure it's much more interesting than watching me cook,” suggested Ignis.

 

“Actually...” Sora said as he watched Prompto fall on his back while attempting a pose. “I wanted to talk to you.”

 

“About?”

 

“Princess Lunafreya.”

 

Ignis turned to the brunette while stirring the stew slowly. “What about her?”

 

“Well, do you know why she contacted me in my dreams and not Noctis?”

 

Ignis paused his stirring for a moment and put a hand to his chin in thought. After a few seconds, he continued stirring the stew.

 

“I've had a theory for quite some time that you coming here may not have been an accident, but destiny.”

 

“Destiny?”

 

Ignis nodded. “I've come to realize, Sora, that nothing here happens without reason. Everything is-”

 

“Connected?”

 

“Why, yes.”

 

Sora scuffed the toe of his shoe against the ground. “I've been told that I'm the key that connects everything.”

 

“Then you have your answer right there Sora. That is why Lady Lunafreya contacted you.”

 

The boy sagged his shoulders and let out a weary sigh. The adviser raised a brow in question.

 

Sora shook his head. “Sorry, it's just that, I'm kinda tired of having this stress on my shoulders you know?”

 

Ignis smiled slightly and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. “Do not worry Sora. This journey will probably be one of the easiest ones you'll ever have.”

 

Sora smiled back, hoping he was right.

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Destiny vs Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaaat?! Another chapter in a week?!  
> Yep! I was just so motivated and inspired that I just had to write another chapter for you beautiful peoples!  
> Thank you so much for all the positive feedback. I love reading all your comments and reactions to the story so far. It really encourages me to write to the best of my ability for y'all.
> 
> So I just finished editing this during my break instead of working on my homework...I obviously have my priorities set straight.  
> I have so many plans for this fic. I'm talking about Nomura type crazy ideas.   
> This chapter also got me wondering if I need to up the rating on this fic. Not too sure yet.  
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Tumblr: @l-curasha-l

“ _Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials.”_

 

                                                             - Terra, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Don't worry, he said. It'll be easy, he said._

 

That was definitely the last time that Sora would ever trust Noctis' word when it came to winning over the favor of powerful beings. Said prince was currently warp striking all over the place, dodging blows from the Archean, or Titan as they called him, and trying to get in a hit every now and then. Prompto was shooting Titan with his gun but unfortunately, it only seemed to agitate the god instead of harm him. Gladio seemed to be blocking nearly all of Titan's attacks (Sora had no idea how that was even possible but it was) and was able to slash at his arm whenever he could. And Ignis, who was currently crouched next to Sora behind a small boulder, was trying to come up with a strategy in order to win against the Archean.

 

How was that coming along? Not well.

 

After 45 minutes of battling Titan, Noctis suggested that Ignis figure out a way to take him down. Sora offered to help Ignis, because he really didn't want to spend any more time fighting an all powerful god that he would not be able to defeat.

 

Twenty minutes into their planning and Sora came up with one thing: they were fucked.

 

“Ignis, I honestly don't see how we're gonna be able to win against him. I can only imagine how much trouble Princess Lunafreya will be going through with that Leviathan guy,” said Sora.

 

“Actually, it is said that the Oracle possesses a certain aura that allows her to communicate with the gods without...well...getting into conflict with them most of the time,” responded Ignis.

 

“Most of the time?”

 

“There is always a small chance that Lady Lunafreya may come into this type of situation with Leviathan.”

 

Sora's eyes widened. “Oh gosh, I hope not.”

 

Suddenly, the ground shook immensely and Sora peeked over the boulder. It seemed that Titan had smashed his fist into the ground and in doing so, got it stuck. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio had taken the opportunity to attack the Archean's arm as much as they could. Sora was surprised that neither of them had passed out from the exhausting fight or the unbearable heat. Titan had been attacking the three nonstop, which got Sora thinking...

 

“Why hasn't Titan tried to attack us?”

 

Ignis looked at the boy, a brow raised in question. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean that Titan hasn't tried to attack you or me this whole time.”

 

“Sora, I took my fair share of blows from the Archean when we fought.”

 

“Really? So then he just avoided attacking me? Why?”

 

“Hmmm, that would only be possible if-” Ignis was suddenly struck with a thought. “Sora, in your dream with Lady Lunafreya, did she say or do anything before she left?”

 

Sora shrugged. “Well, she told me her name.”

 

Ignis shook his head. “Before that.”

 

“Ummm, well,” the brunette blushed. “She kissed me on my forehead and told me that darkness wouldn't touch me, that I was brave and strong. Then she said we would meet again.”

 

Ignis' eyes widened and Sora instantly became worried about what was going on behind him. He turned to check on the others but it seemed like everyone was still fine for the most part. He turned back to Ignis, confused as to what could've caused the man to look so...astonished.

 

“Ignis? What's wrong?” the brunette asked.

 

At the sound of his name, the adviser shook his head and grinned. “Nothing is wrong, my boy. In fact, it is quite the opposite.”

 

Sora raised an eyebrow in question. “What do you mean?”

 

Ignis placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. “The Blessing of the Oracle has been bestowed upon you.”

 

“The Blessing of the Oracle?” Sora crossed his arms and thought over this new piece of information for a moment. “Okay, one, what is the Blessing of the Oracle? And two, how do you know I have it?”

 

“Because Sora, you just told me.”

 

Sora gave the man a blank stare, obviously not understanding.

 

Ignis sighed. “The Blessing of the Oracle is, well, a blessing that the oracle places on one to protect them from harm. That is not to say that nothing can touch them, but rather that they will not fall to darkness or be harmed by the gods.”

 

“Which would explain why the Archean hasn't attacked me.”

 

“Sora, you might be able to communicate with the Archean. Since he cannot harm you, and you are somehow connected to him through Lady Lunafreya, you may be able to convince him to forge a covenant with Noct.”

 

At this, Sora looked uneasy. His eyes darted around as if looking for another possible solution. “You-you sure? I don't think I'm the right one to do this Ignis. I'm not even a part of this world.”

 

“You may not be a part of this world, but you are now connected to it.” Ignis looked into the boy's eyes. “I have faith in you Sora.”

 

_Go on wielder of the keyblade. I have nothing but the utmost confidence in you._

 

As if a switch was flipped, Sora nodded and walked toward Titan with nothing but determination in his eyes. As he made his way, Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio slowly put their fighting to a halt and watched as the boy stood in front of the god. Titan stopped his attacks as well and stared down at the keyblade wielder. He lowered his face to Sora's level and examined the boy.

 

Sora stood his ground and spoke as loud and confidently as he could. “Titan! We've come in hopes of having you forge a covenant with Prince Noctis Loofah-”

 

“Lucis!” corrected the prince.

 

“Shhhh! I'm trying to negotiate here!” Sora cleared his throat and continued. “Prince Noctis _**Lucis**_ Caelum!”

 

“ _The Chosen King must prove his worth if he wishes to forge a covenant with me!”_

 

Sora had no idea how he was able to understand the Archean's words but was grateful that he could. This conversation wouldn't be as one-sided as he initially thought.

 

“Oh great Titan!” Sora heard a chuckle coming from behind him and someone trying to shush them. He had no doubt that Ignis was the one trying keep the order. The chuckle sounded more like it was coming from Prompto. He would get him back for that later. “I know for a fact that Noctis is worthy of your aid! I have seen him prove himself in battle and heart first-hand!”

 

“ _And why should I believe you boy?! That blessing does not make you any more worthy than your Chosen King!”_

 

Sora scowled at the powerful being before him. How dare he think any less of Noctis! Powerful god or not, he was not going to leave until Titan understood just who he was dealing with. Without taking his eyes off of the Archean, he summoned his keyblade and held it up horizontally for the god to see. Titan's face got closer, inspecting the blade. The god eventually backed away and nodded.

 

“ _So, it is true after all.”_

 

“What is?” asked Sora.

 

“ _That is for me to know and you to find out.”_

 

Sora wanted to protest but thought against it. It was better that he didn't wreck his chances of getting Titan to agree to this whole covenant thing.

 

“ _You possess great strength of heart and have much light within you. You are one that sees the good in everything and everyone, and if you say the Chosen King is worthy, then he must have these qualities as well.”_

 

Titan turned to look at Noctis. Sora was almost afraid that the Archean would try to harm the raven. Almost.

 

“ _When you need my aid, just call upon me, and I shall fight by your side Chosen King. Until we meet again.”_

 

 

And with that, the Archean exploded into orbs of golden light which went into Noctis. He fell to the floor, breathing heavily. Sora ran over to him and offered his hand. The raven took it and allowed the boy to pull him up.

 

“You okay Noct?” asked Sora.

 

Noctis nodded. “Yeah, just have a minor headache, that's all.”

 

“Soooo, I'm gonna assume that Titan forged the covenant?” butted in Prompto.

 

Noctis nodded wearily. The raven took a step forward and stumbled. The blonde caught him right away. “Careful there buddy.”

 

Noctis buried his face into Prompto's shoulder and mumbled something incomprehensible.

 

“What was that buddy?”

 

“You smell kinda nice,” responded Noctis.

 

Prompto chuckled. “Kinda, huh?”

 

“You smell nice but also like sweat,” the prince said this sluggishly.

 

“So is being drunk a normal side effect from these covenants?” asked Gladio.

 

“He may not be himself for a while,” answered Ignis who was trying to hold back his laughter.

 

“So how were you able to speak to Titan, Sora?” asked the shield.

 

“The Blessing of the Oracle. Princess Lunafreya gave it to me in my dream,” answered the brunette.

 

“Makes sense.”

 

“Proooooom,” whined the prince who was hanging off of the blonde's neck.

 

Prompto laughed. “What is it Noct?”

 

“I looooooove you.”

 

“Hehe, love you too buddy.” He patted the raven's head.

 

Apparently, Noctis was not satisfied with his answer because he shook his head. “Noooooooo. You don't understaaaaand.” Noctis suddenly startled Prompto by jumping and wrapping his legs around him. “I...like...really really love you.” He rested his head against Prompto's shoulder.

 

The blonde chuckled nervously, putting his arms under Noctis' thighs to support his weight. “Alright, I think someone needs to go to bed.”

 

“Yes! We'll go to bed and consummate our marriage!”

 

Prompto's eyes widened and he choked. Gladio burst out laughing and Ignis just shook his head and smiled. Sora looked at the two with a sense of fondness. The blonde looked around the group. “Guys? A little help here?”

 

“Nah. He seems to like you right now. You don't need our help, unless you need us to buy some lube or-”

 

“Gladio!” interrupted Ignis.

 

The shield just smiled and shrugged. The group made their way back to the car. Prompto was still carrying Noctis, who was wrapped around him and refused to let go. When they got to the car, Noctis, of course, refused to get in unless Prompto would sit next to him, which resulted in Sora having to sit shotgun.

 

“So where are we off to now?” asked Sora.

 

“Me and Prompto are off to bed!” answered Noctis who was leaning against the blonde in the backseat.

 

Sora turned around in his seat. “Maybe you should take a nap, Noct.”

 

“Don't tell me what to do Ash Ketchum!”

 

Sora looked baffled. “Ash what?”

 

“Never mind him,” said Ignis. “To answer your question, we are going to rest at a motel tonight. There is still one more astral that Noctis needs to forge a covenant with.”

 

“Then why aren't we headed to this astral?”

 

“This particular astral, Ramuh, isn't one you find in a set location, rather, he will find you. We must wait for Ramuh to show himself to us. He will show us his location soon since Noctis has already forged one covenant with an astral already.”

 

“So how long do you think it'll take until we see some sort of sign from Ramuh?”

 

Ignis shrugged. “It could be today, tomorrow, the day after. Who knows? It shouldn't be long though.”

 

“Ahhh, okay.”

 

“We almost to the motel Iggy?” asked the shield who was trying to distance himself as much as possible from the clingy prince.

 

“Should be only a few more minutes.”

 

“Better be. I don't know how much more I can take of lovey dovey Noct.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Yay! A bed!”

 

Noctis ran into the motel room and jumped onto a bed. Prompto walked in after Noctis while everyone else stayed outside.

 

“Gladio and I are going to grab some food at the diner to bring back. You're welcomed to come with us Sora,” said Ignis.

 

Sora looked at Prompto who was shaking his head and silently begging the boy to stay with him. He didn't know what would happen if he was left alone with clingy Noctis.

 

Sora smirked at the blonde and winked. “Sure, I'll come!”

 

As they made their way to leave, Gladio told the blonde, “Don't forget to use protection!”

 

Ignis slapped Gladio's shoulder while the shield laughed. Sora chuckled as they made their way to the diner.

 

Prompto was, unfortunately, left with the prince who currently had the mind of a four year old.

 

“Prom! Proooom!” called said prince.

 

“What is it Noct?” asked the blonde suspiciously.

 

“Come 'ere. I gotta tell you something...something important.”

 

The blonde tentatively made his way to the side of the bed where Noctis was lying. “What do you need to tell me?”

 

Without warning, the raven pulled his best friend down onto the bed, on top of him.

 

“N-Noct!”

 

Noctis pulled Prompto's face closer to his until their lips were merely brushing. “Kiss me Prom,” the raven whispered against his lips.

 

Prompto's eyes widened. He looked into his best friend's eyes and saw determination in them. He wasn't kidding about this.

 

“Noct,” Prompto said softly against the others lips. “You're not in the right state of mind right now.”

 

“Yes I am. Kiss me.”

 

The raven tangled his fingers in Prompto's blonde locks. This close, he could see every freckle that coated his face. He could see the different blues and purples in his eyes.

 

_Gods he's gorgeous._

 

He wanted to claim his lips already, but he wouldn't, not until Prompto said it was okay to do so.

 

And Prompto...

 

Gods was he having an internal crisis right now. He desperately wanted to kiss the raven. He looked absolutely perfect with his blue-gray eyes, his ebony locks, and his full lips.

 

Gods, those lips. What he wouldn't give to taste them. But he couldn't. Prompto knew he couldn't.

 

_He's engaged to Lady Lunafreya. He loves her._

 

So with an exasperated sigh, the blonde pulled away from the prince and gave him a small smile. “Noct, you need to rest. You're still tired from dealing with the Archean.” Noctis just blinked and stared at him. “After you've eaten something, you should shower and rest. You're going to need it if you're gonna forge another covenant. And plus, I don't think Lady Lunafreya would be happy if we were dragging her fiance to his own wedding.”

 

“Yeah...right,” the raven's voice sounded empty and emotionless when he said this.

 

“Well, I'm gonna...uhhh...shower, unless you want to go first?”

 

“No, no. It's fine. Ummm, go ahead.”

 

And that was the very first time that Noctis and Prompto felt awkwardness between each other.

 

 

 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later and Prompto emerged from the steamy bathroom, wearing only his pants. His hair was wet and and there were droplets of water running down his bare chest. Noctis could only stare at the beautiful specimen before him.

 

“Noct? Could you hand me a shirt from my bag?” asked Prompto.

 

That was the final straw. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to have this beautiful creature. With that thought, Noctis got up from his place on the bed and walked right up to the blonde. He placed his hands on his broad freckled shoulders and brushed his lips against Prompto's.

 

“Prompto...gods please...just kiss me,” begged the prince.

 

“Kiss you?” questioned Prompto.

 

“Please...please just...kiss me.”

 

Next thing Noctis knew, Prompto smashed his lips against his and kissed him with fervor. One hand was tangled in his ebony locks while his other arm was wrapped around his waist. Noctis moaned into the blonde's mouth and ran his hands up and down his chest, exploring every muscle, every freckle, every patch of skin.

 

Prompto invaded Noctis' mouth with his tongue, eagerly exploring his mouth and tasting him. This made Noctis shiver and he couldn't help but grind his hips up into the blonde's.

 

“Noct...”

 

Oh how the raven loved hearing his name come out of the blonde's mouth.

 

“Nooooct...”

 

It was music to his ears.

 

“Noctis...”

 

He wondered how he would sound when he made him...

 

“ **Noct!”**

 

 

 

Noctis shook himself out of his daydream and focused on reality.

 

The reality that Prompto was still shirtless and was asking him for a shirt. Unfortunately, Noctis had a problem himself.

 

A problem in the...lower region of his body.

 

He quickly grabbed a pillow and put it on his lap to hide his...predicament.

 

“Noct? Did you hear me?”

 

Noctis focused on his very shirtless and very wet best friend. “Uhhh, sorry. Just zoned out for a bit. Still feeling some side effects from the whole covenant thing.”

 

At that, Prompto's face became one filled with worry. He walked to his friend and placed a hand against his forehead. From this distance, which wasn't much between them, the raven could smell the body wash that the blonde had used. He could feel the heat from the shower emanating from his skin.

 

Gods only knew how much self control it took him not to reach out and touch the blonde's skin.

 

“Hmmm, you don't seem to be burning up so that's a good sign. You know what? Maybe a shower will make you feel better. I know I definitely feel much better.”

 

“Okay,” Noctis quickly cleared his throat, for his answer came out an octave too high. “I mean, sure.”

 

And with that, he got up from his bed, pillow held at his groin, grabbed a black t-shirt and matching sweatpants from his bag, and made his way to the bathroom.

 

Before the prince could close the door, Prompto asked, “Ummm, Noct? Why are you taking a pillow into the bathroom?”

 

Noctis looked down at the pillow, then back up at the blonde. “Oh, you know, just in case I fall asleep in the shower or something.” He finished his answer with a nervous laugh.

 

Prompto chuckled. “Uhhh, alright then.”

 

Noctis closed the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath. “Did I just tell him that I was gonna take a pillow into the shower?”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“We brought the foods!”

 

“The foods?” asked Prompto as he got up at the mention of food.

 

“The foods!” Sora held up a bag of takeout over his head.

 

“The foods!”

 

“Hey, where's His Royal Highness?” asked Gladio.

 

“He's taking a shower. He was still feeling a little out of it. Hopefully the shower will make him feel better.”

 

“And he's taking it by himself?!” asked a shocked Ignis.

 

“Yeah Iggy. Noct is a grown man. He can take showers without any supervision.”

 

“Grown? Hardly. Man? Maybe only physically.”

 

Gladio chuckled as he and Sora placed the food on the coffee table.

 

“What I meant was that in his condition right now, I don't think letting him take a shower by himself, in a place where he might slip or fall, is a good idea.”

 

Prompto shrugged. “He seemed much better after lying down for a bit. Almost completely sane.”

 

Ignis raised a brow. “Almost.”

 

The blonde nodded. “Almost.”

 

“Remind me to not let you watch over Noctis again.”

 

“Can't do that Iggy. You can't separate me from the only person in this world who completely tolerates me.” He put a hand to his chest and threw back his head to emphasize his point.

 

All of a sudden, Prompto got a pillow to the face and fell back onto the floor. Sora and Gladio burst out in laughter while Ignis just sighed and made his way to the coffee table. Prompto sat up and looked at his attacker who happened to be Noctis.

 

Noctis was standing in the door way of the bathroom with a smug look on his face. He was towel drying his hair.

 

“What the hell was that for?” asked the blonde.

 

“Cause you still haven't put on a shirt.”

 

Prompto looked down and realized that he was, in fact, still shirtless. “And why do you care if I wear a shirt or not?” He heard Gladio snort behind him.

 

The prince shrugged and made his way to the coffee table where the food was laid out. “There's a child here.”

 

Sora, who had stuffed his mouth with rice, exclaimed, “I am not a child!” Pieces of rice flew out of his mouth.

 

Noctis crossed his arms and looked at the brunette. “See, he's still learning how to eat.”

 

“I came here to have a good time and honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now.”

 

“Yeah, that's what happens when you become friends with royalty,” said Gladio.

 

Prompto grabbed a shirt from his bag, put it on, and made his way to the table and started helping himself. “Yep, we're all just mere peasants.”

 

“Slaves.”

 

“Concubines.”

 

“Concu - what?” asked a confused Sora.

 

Nothing! It means absolutely nothing!” said the adviser.

 

 

 

 

 

After they ate, everyone decided to play a card game. Gladio helped Sora throughout the countless games they played and he even won a few times. Prompto, of course, lost every game and accused everyone of cheating. This only made Sora smile and laugh.

 

It was times like these where he felt like he was back home with his friends. He felt...well...normal. He felt free of responsibilities and stress.

 

He sometimes wondered what it would be like if Kairi and Riku ever met his new friends. He liked to believe that they would get along just fine with everyone.

 

Kairi and Prompto would get along great. After all, they were both so optimistic and cheerful. He felt as if Riku would have more in common with Gladio but would be able to have a real conversation with Ignis. After all, the two had to put up with...interesting people.

 

_They will get to meet them one day, cause I'm gonna find Riku and go back home to see Kairi. Then, I'll be able to bring them here._

 

But those were thoughts for another time. Right now, Sora just wanted to live in the moment and focus on his new friends, and the card game, and the cheap but delicious food. He at least deserved this moment.

 

But as all good things do, it eventually came to an end.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I hate myself for making that Promptis scene a daydream too.  
> I just don't want to rush the relationship, for it is critical to their character development and the story as well.  
> So I'm just gonna...  
> *runs away*


	10. Worst Pajama Party Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Got a short chapter, but hey, it's still a chapter.  
> I forgot to address this in the last chapter but basically Noctis already has all the royal arms already. Why? In this AU it's required of him to have them all in preparation of becoming the next King of Lucis...and also I didn't want to bore you with all that looking for the royal arms stuff...or myself.  
> So anyway, enjoy the chapter!

“ _Whatever it is that binds us together isn't going to break so easily...and that's our real treasure.”_

 

 _-_ Aqua, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

 

 

 

Prompto woke up to a clap of thunder. It was the middle of the night and everyone was asleep. Ignis and Gladio were in one bed while Sora, Noctis, and Prompto were in the other. After many hours of eating, talking, and playing various card games, everyone had eventually become tired and decided to call it a night. Everyone had been sleeping peacefully, well, that was until the sound of thunder woke up a certain blonde.

 

Prompto carefully and quietly got out of bed and walked up to the window. He looked out and saw that it was raining heavily.

 

_Strange. There were no signs of rain yesterday. This storm is completely unexpected._

 

In the distance, Prompto saw lightning strike.

 

“Wait, was that lightning...pink?” the blonde whispered to himself.

 

He looked out the window, staring at the same spot that the lightning had struck. After a few minutes of seeing nothing, he shook his head.

 

_Silly me. Lightning never strikes the same place twice._

 

Just as he was about to turn away, he saw it again, the pink lightning, striking the exact same spot it had before.

 

_Okay, that can't be a coincidence._

 

Prompto rushed to Noctis' bedside and shook him. “Noct,” the blonde whispered.

 

The raven continued to sleep like a baby.

 

“Noooooct. Wake up!”

 

Still nothing.

 

“Ugh, fine, you asked for this.”

 

The blonde grabbed the ice bucket and went to the bathroom. He filled it up with cold water from the sink, then walked back to Noctis' sleeping form. He then poured all the water on the prince's face.

 

Noctis woke up with a gasp and looked at his attacker. He was about to yell at the blonde but Prompto covered his mouth.

 

“Shhhh! The others are still sleeping,” he whispered. Noctis squinted and licked the palm of Prompto's hand. The blonde retracted his hand. “Ewww!”

 

Noctis smirked. “That's what you get for waking me up and trying to silence The Prince of Lucis.”

 

Prompto wiped his hand on his sweatpants. “You're disgusting.”

 

“Why thank you. So why did you wake me up? The world doesn't seem to be ending or anything so I don't see any valid excuse for you to be waking me up.”

 

“Oh trust me, my reason is very valid.”

 

Prompto grabbed Noctis' arm and pulled him out of bed. He rushed to the window and pointed to the sky. “Just look.”

 

The raven stared at the dark sky that was covered in rain clouds. He stared. And stared. And stared. Eventually, he became impatient. “Prompto I don't get what I'm supposed to be-”

 

“Shhhh! Just look.”

 

Noctis sighed and continued to look at the sky. After a couple of minutes, he saw a flash of pink lightning in the distance.

 

“What the hell?”

 

“Exactly! And another weird thing is that it's been striking the exact same place!”

 

Prompto watched the prince as he stared out the window. The next time the lightning struck, Noctis' eyes flashed a bright pink with it. The blonde jumped at this.

 

Noctis turned to the blonde, his eyes going back to their regular blue. “It's Ramuh.”

 

“Wha...what?”

 

“Ramuh. The lightning. He's calling me.”

 

“You're saying that the lightning is from Ramuh?”

 

Noctis nodded. “We have to go to it.”

 

“Now?”

 

“Right now.”

 

“Can't it wait 'till morning?”

 

“No. We need to go now.” Noctis tugged on Prompto's arm but the blonde held his ground.

 

“Noct, hold up! We should let the others know first!”

 

“There's no time! We have to go now!”

 

“Noct!” Prompto grabbed him by the shoulders. “Calm the fuck down and think rationally for a minute!”

 

The raven's eyes widened. “I - I...okay. Okay.” He relaxed, but only slightly, and slumped his shoulders.

 

“Don't worry. It will only take a second to get them up.”

 

Prompto took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth. “GET YOUR LAZY ASSES UP!”

 

Gladio flung his arm, hitting Ignis square in the face. Ignis yelped in pain, Sora sat up and summoned his keyblade yelling out, “I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU I SWEAR!”

 

Ignis shoved Gladio's arm off of him and reached for his glasses. Gladio sat up and glared at Prompto. Sora on the other hand was frantically looking around the room still holding his keyblade.

 

Noctis leaned in to whisper into Prompto's ear. “I think you could have woken them up differently. They look like they're about to kill you.”

 

Prompto let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Whoops.”

 

“Prompto! You have exactly ten seconds to explain why you woke us up!” Gladio began to get out of the bed and make his way to the blonde.

 

As the shield got closer to Prompto, the blonde held his hands up in front of him and exclaimed, “Ramuh!”

 

Ignis, who had put on his glasses, froze upon hearing the name. “Ramuh? What about Ramuh?”

 

“He's calling me! He wants to forge a covenant and I have to go to him now!” answered Noctis.

 

“Alright, alright. Just give us a moment to change and-”

 

“No! We need to go now!”

 

“But Noct-”

 

“Ignis, you don't keep a god waiting! We have to go right now!”

 

“But I'm tired!” whined Sora as he fell back onto his bed.

 

“Oh no, you're coming too!” said Gladio.

 

“Nooooooo!” Sora mumbled into his pillow.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I can't believe you didn't leave him in the car.”

 

“I'm not gonna leave a kid in the car by himself!”

 

“He's 15 Gladio.”

 

“And you're 20 and royalty but we still have to watch over you.”

 

“... shut up.”

 

The five were currently still in their pajamas, in the rain, heading toward the pink lightning. Gladio was carrying a sleeping Sora on his back. After seeing how tired the boy was, he didn't want to wake him up or leave him in the car, since there was a chance that daemons could still be lurking around, so he decided to carry him.

 

“Are we almost there yet? It's freezing out here,” said Prompto.

 

“You better have been right about this Noct,” said Ignis.

 

“I wouldn't be doing any of this if I wasn't sure that it was Ramuh,” said Noctis.

 

Ignis sighed. “I know, I know.”

 

After a few more minutes of walking, the group reached the entrance of a cave. “In here. This is where Ramuh wants me to go,” said the raven.

 

“In a dark spooky cave where daemons are probably hiding?” asked a nervous Prompto.

 

“Yep.”

 

Prompto sighed. “Of course.”

 

 

 

 

 

Sora found out something new today: He hated caves.

 

Gladio had woken him up before entering the cave, saying it would be much safer for the boy to walk. Sora was a little embarrassed that Gladio had been carrying him but he didn't have time to think about that right now. Right now, he had to focus on getting through this creepy cave.

 

They had already spent a good 45 minutes wandering through the cave, running into goblins, flan, and other daemons. At first, Sora was a little confused on how to fight the daemons. After all, for some, there were certain techniques and magic that could either defeat them or make them stronger. Ignis just told Sora to attack them to the best of his ability and if he did something wrong during battle, he would advise him on how to best approach the daemon.

 

As of right now, everyone was taking a small break. Noctis was sitting against a wall and leaning his head back, looking up at the ceiling. Gladio and Ignis were discussing what seemed like different battle strategies and Prompto was looking out at a drop. The only thing that prevented him from falling were stalagmites that reached just below his knees. Sora walked up to the blonde.

 

“Whatcha doin'?” he asked

 

“Just thinking,” Prompto answered.

 

“About?”

 

He took a few seconds to answer, thinking over his words carefully. “I guess I'm just wondering what happens after all of this, you know?”

 

“You mean after Noctis forges the covenant with Ramuh?”

 

“Not just that. I mean everything.”

 

“Everything?”

 

“Yeah. After this he'll have to go to Altissia and forge a covenant with Leviathan and then he'll have to-” Prompto paused and froze. Then after a few moments, he chuckled and shook his head. “What am I saying? I know what's gonna happen, and so does he.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Nothing you should worry about right now Sora.” He ruffled the boy's hair.

 

The brunette furrowed his eyebrows. “But it seems to be bugging you...”

 

“Don't worry about me. Right now we need to focus on getting Noct to Ramuh.”

 

Unconvinced, Sora nodded and sighed. “Alright then. If you say so.”

 

He was about to walk away when he turned around and smiled at Prompto. “Hey, even though things are bad, don't forget to smile every once in a while, okay?”

 

Prompto looked at the boy, taken aback by his words, then he smiled slightly and nodded. “Okay, I'll try.”

 

Sora nodded back and turned to walk to the others. Just as he was a few feet away from Prompto, he heard him scream. The brunette instantly turned around, only to find that the blonde was gone.

 

“Prompto?”

 

Sora looked down at the drop, fearing that the blonde had somehow fallen down there. He heard footsteps come up from behind him.

 

“Prompto?!” Noctis called out. He looked around frantically, as if his best friend would appear out of thin air any minute. Ignis and Gladio were right behind him. “Where's Prompto?!”

 

“I - I don't know. He was just standing here a few seconds ago!”

 

“Oh my gods! Oh my - ” the prince grabbed his head and paced around. “Do you think he fell?! Oh gods, what if he fell?!”

 

“The thing is that Prompto wasn't close enough to the drop to actually fall. I saw him.”

 

“Then hopefully something must have taken him,” said Ignis.

 

“Hopefully?!” Noctis looked at the adviser incredulously.

 

“Think about it Noct. If something took Prompto, there's a chance that he's still alive. Now on the other hand, if blondie really did manage to fall, then there's a good chance that he-”

 

“Don't! Don't say it!” Noctis interrupted Gladio.

 

“Noct, calm down. We have to-” Sora suddenly heard a voice.

 

_Sora?_

 

It sounded exactly like Prompto. “Prompto? Where are you?”

 

Everyone else looked at Sora strangely, but he ignored their confusion.

 

_I'm down here...at the bottom of the drop. There's...daemons everywhere and...one has me. I can't...I can't move...but I'm okay...I think._

 

“Don't worry Prompto, we're coming to get you.”

 

“Alright, have you lost your mind or something?” asked Gladio.

 

“Huh? Didn't you hear Prompto just now?”

 

“Ummm, no. He's not here, remember?”

 

“I know he's not here but I – oh.”

 

“What?” asked Noctis.

 

“He was able to reach out to me cause our hearts are connected. That's how we were able to communicate.”

 

“So does that mean he's okay?” asked a worried Noctis.

 

“Yeah, but a daemon has him. We have to hurry.”

 

“Then what are we waiting for?!”

 

And with that, Noctis ran off with Sora following closely behind. Ignis just shook his head, muttering how it was stupid to continue into the cave on their own, and ran after them with Gladio behind him.

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Intertwined Destinies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little hint somewhere in this chapter of what's to come...or more like who...
> 
> Tumblr: l-curasha-l

“ _There are many worlds, but they share the same sky … one sky, one destiny.”_

 

                                                                            - Kairi, Kingdom Hearts 2

 

 

 

_Alright Prompto. Just stay perfectly still and everything will be alright. Yeah. Don't move and you should be fine, right?_

 

Prompto told this to himself over and over again. It wasn't like he could move much if he wanted to either way. The blonde was currently being held by a giant snake-like daemon. It wrapped its tail around him and squeezed, ensuring that he would not escape her. The daemon had fallen asleep a while ago, muttering something about a baby.

 

He had noticed that the daemon didn't make any sort of move to hurt him. Rather, it was being sort of, well, gentle with him. This made Prompto very confused but also relieved as he was pretty sure it wouldn't be killing him any time soon.

 

What really surprised him though was that he had been able to communicate with Sora. He had no idea how he had gotten the idea in the first place. It was just a feeling he had that made him reach out to the boy and fortunately, his message had gotten through to him.

 

Now all he could do was wait...

 

_Wait a minute..._

 

Prompto started to panic as a sudden thought struck him.

 

_If they come here, the daemon will wake up and tear them to shreds!_

 

“Don't worry Prompto! We're coming!”

 

_Speak of the devil._

 

The daemon slowly stirred from its sleep. It tightened its grip on Prompto to the point that he felt his eyeballs would pop out of their sockets.

 

_Damn you Noct._

 

“Noct, maybe you shouldn't have announced our arrival by screaming Prompto's name!”

 

“Why? I just want him to know we're here.”

 

Prompto wanted to slap his best friend for being so stupid and questioning Sora's logic.

 

“Cause you woke up the daemon you idiot!”

 

“No I di – Oh shit.”

 

The daemon slithered up to Noctis and Sora, while still holding Prompto, and hissed at them. “Must … protect … baby.”

 

Sora instantly became confused. “Baby? We can … uhhhh … find your baby.”

 

“My baby … here.”

 

“Whaaaa?”

 

Ignis and Gladio suddenly ran up to the two, finally catching up to them. The daemon looked at the two new possible threats.

 

“G-guys,” said the blonde nervously. “I think this daemon thinks I'm its baby.”

 

“Baby … my baby,” mumbled the daemon.

 

Sora raised his hand and took a tentative step toward the daemon. “Um, Miss Snake Lady?” The daemon hissed as the boy got closer to her and Prompto. “Okay, okay! I'll keep my distance.” The daemon studied the boy carefully before loosening her grip on Prompto. The blonde was relieved that he could breathe a little more easily now. “We just want our friend back, that's all.”

 

The daemon tilted her head in confusion. “Fr – friend?”

 

“Yeah, friend,” Sora said as he pointed to the blonde. “That's our friend right there.”

 

The daemon looked back and forth between the brunette and the blonde. She shook her head. “No. Baby. My baby.” She curled around Prompto, holding him close to her.

 

At that moment, something inside Sora broke. He felt, well, bad for this daemon. It almost seemed like she had feelings. She truly believed that Prompto was her child and she was very intent on protecting him.

 

“You really care for him, don't you?”

 

Gladio scoffed from behind. “As if. Daemons don't have feelings. They're not even human anymore.”

 

“Anymore?” Sora never took his eyes off of the daemon.

 

“Daemons are created when a person or creature is infected with the Starscourge, a plague you could say, that lengthens the nights and drinks up the light. This one had to have been human before, since she can speak and has a somewhat human face,” replied Ignis.

 

Sora held out his hand and took a step forward. “I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise.”

 

The daemon hesitated at first, but then she slowly leaned down so her head was leveled with Sora. The brunette stepped closer and reached out until his hand was on the daemon's head. He slowly pet her and she closed her eyes. With bated breath, Sora closed his eyes and focused his energy.

 

_Kairi, if you can hear me, I could really use your help. I need your light. I need to help someone. They've fallen to darkness unwillingly. They don't deserve this Kairi. Please, please allow me to help them._

 

A few moments passed until he felt it. His whole being felt relaxed and warm. He felt lighter. It felt amazing. He wondered if Kairi felt like this all the time.

 

Everyone else was bewildered at the sight before them. They didn't know what was more surprising: The fact that Sora was able to touch a daemon without getting attacked, or that he was glowing and emanating a bright white light from his body.

 

Eventually, the light became brighter and brighter until it became too much that everyone had to close their eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

He was definitely leaning on something. That's the first thing that came to mind when Prompto opened his eyes. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dark again but once they did, he realized he wasn't being held by the daemon's tail … but by the arms of a person. His head was against something that was moving up and down … a chest.

 

“What the hell?”

 

Now Prompto was worried because why was Noct saying that? He slowly looked up and was completely shocked at what he saw, or more like, who he saw.

 

It was a woman.

 

And it wasn't just any woman. This woman looked perfect. She had smooth skin that seemed to have a sort of glow to it, long dark hair that looked blue in some places and black in others, she had a very light dusting of freckles covering the bridge of her nose, and when she opened her eyes, her long dark lashes lifted up to reveal a pair of dark blue-gray eyes.

 

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, and it felt so nice to be held in this woman's arms. Not nice in a romantic way but more of a … motherly way.

 

The woman looked down at him and smiled. “Hello.” Her voice was like silk.

 

“H – Hi.”

 

As if suddenly realizing the position she was in, the woman slowly pulled away from the blonde. “I apologize for frightening you. I was not myself.”

 

“What do you mean?” It was at that moment that Prompto put two and two together. The daemon was no where to be seen, the same daemon that had been holding him a few moments ago. And in its place, was this woman, a woman who had been holding Prompto.

 

“You – you were the daemon?!”

 

Her smile faltered a little. “Unfortunately, yes. I do not know how much time has passed or where I am, but thanks to your friend, I am human again. Where is he anyway? I would like to thank him.”

 

“You mean Sora? He's right-” Prompto turned to find the boy unconscious on the floor. He also saw that the rest of the gang was staring at the woman with their mouths agape. He knelt next to Sora, made sure he was breathing, then stood back up.

 

“He passed out, probably from all that power that coursed through him, but I think he'll be fine. Once he wakes up, I'm sure he'd be more than glad to see that you're human again.”

 

“Well, back to carrying him again,” said Gladio as he picked up the boy and carried him in his arms.

 

“Excuse me Miss, but we do not know your name?” piped in Ignis.

 

“Oh! How awfully rude of me! My name is-” the woman paused and thought for a moment. “My name is …” she trailed off.

 

Noctis, who had been staring at the woman this whole time, finally spoke up. “Something wrong?”

 

She shook her head and chuckled. “I can't seem to remember anything. I don't know who I am.”

 

“That's alright,” said the blonde. “I'm sure your memory will come back to you. In the meantime, maybe we should give you some sort of nickname, just so we have something to call you by.”

 

The woman smiled. “Well, what would you like to call me?”

 

The sound of lightning striking could suddenly be heard throughout the cave. “We're gonna have to wait on the whole name thing for now. We need to go,” said Noctis. He looked to the woman. “Just stay close to us and don't wander off, okay?”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

 

 

 

“So we came in our soaking pjs, went into a creepy dark cave, and I got kidnapped by a daemon … no offense.”

 

“None taken.”

 

“Just to find a tree?! Is that a tree? It looks like a tree.”

 

“It's a sign from Ramuh, Prompto. This is his way of forging the covenant,” responded Noctis.

 

“Through a tree?”

 

Noctis sighed heavily. “Prompto?”

 

“Yeah Noct?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Noctis walked up to the “tree” as Prompto called it, and placed his hand on it. His eyes glowed a bright shade of magenta and everything became very bright.

 

 

 

 

 

_Noctis blinked as his eyes slowly adjusted to the new environment he was in. He saw blue, just bright blue, and were those … clouds?_

 

_A sky. He was staring at the sky. This wasn't the sky he was used to seeing in Lucis though. This sky seemed brighter and more full of life. It was absolutely beautiful._

 

_He sat up and was amazed by the scene in front of him. There was an endless blue ocean. The water glistened as the sun shined down on it. The sound of the waves and the seagulls flying over him was absolutely calming. He felt as if he could stay on this beach forever._

 

“ _Beautiful isn't it? Probably more beautiful than Galdin Quay, wouldn't you agree?”_

 

_Noctis turned his head to suddenly find Sora sitting right next to him on the sand. “Sora?”_

 

“ _No, I am not your friend. I am merely taking on his appearance. I believe it would be easier to converse with you if you saw someone you recognized.”_

 

_Noctis thought for a moment. “You're Ramuh.”_

 

“ _Indeed I am.”_

 

_Noctis looked at him. “Out of all the people you could look like, why Sora?”_

 

_Ramuh smiled. “You may not know it now, but he is an essential part of your journey.”_

 

“ _What does Sora have to do with me fulfilling the prophecy?”_

 

_Ramuh chuckled. “Your journey is only beginning, young prince.”_

 

“ _What do you mean?”_

 

“ _I cannot say much, but I will tell you this. There is so much more that lies ahead. So much more than you could ever realize. Everyone around you has a part to play.”_

 

“ _Even Sora?”_

 

_Ramuh looked at Noctis and smiled. “Do you really think that you met him by accident? My dear boy, there is no such thing as coincidences.”_

 

_The raven laughed incredulously. “So what? You're saying that Sora falling from the sky and landing near our campsite was what? Fate? Destiny?”_

 

_Ramuh nodded. “Yes.”_

 

“ _I was joking.”_

 

“ _And I wasn't.”_

 

_Noctis huffed. “Well, which one is it then? Fate or destiny?”_

 

“ _Both.”_

 

_Noctis rolled his eyes. “Of course. So what else are you gonna tell me? That we should all hold hands and conquer the Starscourge with the power of love?”_

 

_Ramuh laughed heartily, which was weird to Noctis since it sounded like Sora. “The Starscourge is the least of your problems.”_

 

“ _What?! What do you mean?!”_

 

“ _That is for me to know and you to find out, young prince.” Ramuh looked out at the ocean. “I grant you my power. Feel free to summon me when you are in desperate need of my aid.” Noctis began to notice that Ramuh was beginning to dissipate into small orbs of golden light. “Until we meet again, young prince.”_

 

“ _No! Wait!”_

 

 

 

 

 

Noctis stumbled back and tried to regain his bearings. He remembered that he was in a cave. Yes, he was in a cave with his friends and they just got to Ramuh's sign. As his breathing became steadier, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Are you alright?” It sounded like a woman.

 

“Yeah dude. You look like you've seen a ghost.” That sounded like Prompto.

 

Noctis turned to find that the woman they had saved was the one trying to comfort him while Prompto was giving him a worried look. The raven shook his head and sighed. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired and overwhelmed.”

 

“Please tell me that's all for today. I just want to go back to the room and sleep,” said Gladio who was still carrying an unconscious Sora. “And I'm pretty sure the kid wants to sleep somewhere more comfortable than just my arms.”

 

“And I believe that this young lady would like to have a proper meal, a hot shower, and some clean clothes,” Ignis mentioned.

 

The prince yawned and rubbed his tired eyes. “You don't need to try and convince me. Let's get out of here.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Once they got back to the motel, it was around five in the morning. The first thing Noctis did was face plant on the bed. Prompto helped Gladio tuck Sora in while Ignis was setting up a makeshift bed on the sofa and floor. Ignis had insisted that the woman take the other bed while he and Gladio would take the sofa and the floor. The woman had refused, saying that she would be perfectly fine with sleeping on the sofa but Ignis, ever the gentleman, would not allow it.

 

“Madam, why don't you take a shower while I fix the bed for you? I'm sure Prompto could spare a change of clothes for you until we can get suitable garments for you,” suggested Ignis.

 

Noctis lifted his face off of the bed to ask, “Why Prompto's clothes?”

 

“Because, Noct, he has slightly smaller clothes than all of us.”

 

“And cause my clothes are more stylish than yours!” teased the blonde as he rummaged through his bag for a pair of clothes. He got a pair of beige baggy pants and a gray t-shirt and handed them to the woman. “Here you go. I hope these fit you okay.”

 

The woman smiled and took the clothes. “Thank you Prompto. Thank you all for your kindness. I don't know how I could ever repay you.”

 

“No need to. It's kind of what we do,” replied Gladio.

 

“You still choose to be kind when you don't have to. I am forever in your debt.” And with that, she went into the bathroom to shower, leaving the boys alone.

 

“Nooooct,” Prompto called out.

 

“What do you want Prompto? I'm trying to sleep,” replied the prince.

 

“You're getting the bed wet dummy! Your pajamas are soaking! Change them!”

 

Noctis groaned, forgetting that he had to change. “Why doesn't Sora have to change?”

 

Prompto was about to retort but then stopped, thinking over Noctis' question. “Well … that's cause he's unconscious.”

 

“You could just change his clothes.”

 

The blonde crossed his arms and shook his head. “Nuh uh! Nope! I'm not gonna molest that boy again.”

 

“Again?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Prompto, giving him mouth to mouth doesn't count as molestation.”

 

“Just shut up and change.”

 

“Ugh, I hate you.”

 

“Love you too dude.”

 

Noctis froze at the words momentarily. He knew that Prompto meant it in a sarcastic best friend way, but they still made him blush and feel warm.

 

_Get a grip Noctis. It's just Prompto being Prompto. Nothing more. Nothing less._

 

_Even though you wish it was something more …_

 

_Shut up Noctis!_

 

_No, you shut up Noctis!_

 

While Noctis was having an internal battle, Prompto grabbed a set of dry clothes to sleep in. He quickly changed, eager to get under the warm covers and go to sleep. Before heading to bed, Prompto decided to help Ignis set the other bed up for the woman.

 

“So Ignis, what do you make of her?” asked Prompto as he grabbed one side of the comforter.

 

Ignis grabbed the other side and they both lifted it up and spread it onto the bed. “Well, she is quite mysterious. She knows nothing about herself or anything for that matter.” He grabbed a pillow and began to fluff it while Prompto did the same. “She doesn't even recognize that Noct is the Prince of Lucis so that means that her memory is very far gone.”

 

“Do you think she'll ever get it back?”

 

“I believe she can. Although, it may take a long while.”

 

Prompto sighed. “It's times like these where I wish I had the power to restore someone's lost memories.”

 

Ignis raised a brow. “That's a very specific and unusual power to want.”

 

The blonde shrugged. “But it's not useless, now is it?”

 

“I suppose you're right.”

 

They both turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening. The woman came out, dressed in Prompto's clothes, which were a tad too big on her. The shirt was big and hung a little off of one shoulder, and the pants covered her feet. She looked … adorable.

 

“You must be hungry. We will go fetch you something to eat,” said the adviser.

 

“Oh no no. I am quite alright, thank you. I can wait until morning anyway. I am very tired,” replied the woman.

 

Prompto on the other hand was staring at her with his mouth agape. There was just something about seeing a woman in his clothes that made him feel all sorts of things. At the moment, he was a blushing mess.

 

“Prompto, are you alright?”

 

The blonde shook his head. “Huh?”

 

“Are you feeling well? You seemed a bit dazed,” asked the woman with a concerned look on her face.

 

“Uhh, yeah! I'm fine! I was just … uhhhh … wondering if the clothes fit you alright?” Prompto mentally face palmed because of course they didn't! They were obviously too big on her.

 

The woman only smiled at him. “They are a bit big but they are very comfortable.”

 

“G-good! Good.” The blonde rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Oh! We still don't know what to call you.”

 

The woman giggled. “Any ideas?”

 

Noctis suddenly got up and walked up to her. He squinted and looked into her eyes. “Sapphire.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Your eyes. They're the color of sapphires, so we'll call you Sapphire.”

 

“Sapphire. I like it. Where did you get the idea to name me by my eye color?”

 

“My father used to say, 'If you're ever going to call a woman by any other name than her given one, call her by something that represents her eyes.' I guess it's just something that stuck with me.”

 

She smiled. “Your father sounds like a very intelligent man.”

 

Noctis shrugged. “Yeah, he was …”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know -”

 

“Don't worry about it.”

 

It became awkwardly silent after that. Noctis didn't really talk about his father much after finding out about his death. He wasn't really the type to pour his feelings out to anyone. He preferred to just keep them locked up and let them fester and build up until he exploded.

 

Of course there's always going to be that one person that can't stand the silence and surprisingly, this time, that person was Gladio. “So are we all gonna brood in silence or are we actually gonna try and get some rest?” Everyone turned to look at the shield, who was lying on his makeshift bed on the floor, reading a book.

 

Sapphire giggled. “He does have a point.”

 

“Of course I do. Who else is gonna keep the peace around here?” Ignis coughed at Gladio's comment. The shield rolled his eyes in response.

 

Sapphire covered her mouth as she yawned. “Well, I shall be heading off to bed then. Once again, I thank you all for everything you have done for me.”

 

“No problem. Always there to save a damsel in distress,” the blonde said as Ignis slapped him upside the head.

 

Sapphire laughed. “Goodnight everyone.” And with that, she crawled under the covers and began to doze off.

 

Prompto smiled and looked at her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful and so … beautiful.

 

“Prom? Prom? Yo! Prompto!”

 

“Huh? What?” Prompto snapped out of his daze and turned to his best friend.

 

“Are you gonna come to bed?” the raven asked with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah.” The blonde made his way to the bed and took one last glance at Sapphire before lying down. Noctis huffed and angrily made his way to bed. Ignis only chuckled and shook his head at the scene before him before deciding to call it a day as well.

 

 

 

 


	12. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I've realized that one of the main reasons that it takes so long for me to post a chapter is cause I over-edit them (curse my perfectionism). Anyway, I'm going to be editing them a little less so I can hopefully post faster chapters and not drive myself crazy. I'm getting a lot of new ideas and inspiration for future chapters and we're already somewhat halfway finished with the story!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter lovelies!
> 
> Tumblr: @l-curasha-l

“ _Chasing after light is not the way. It will not give you distance from the darkness. There is no running from the darkness.”_

                                                      - Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories

 

 

 

Noctis woke up the next morning to find that there was no sign of Prompto anywhere. He knew that Prompto tended to wake up before him, but he would usually wait in bed until Noctis woke up.

 

The raven sat up and yawned while stretching his arms over his head. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone else was still asleep and Prompto was nowhere to be found.

 

_Wait a minute, if Ignis is still asleep, then how early did I wake up?_

 

Noctis checked his phone to see that it was 5:47 in the morning. He groaned into his pillow, knowing that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. “Where the hell is Prompto at this time?” he said to himself.

 

He sat up and rubbed his face tiredly. The prince groggily made his way to the bathroom and did his daily morning routine which consisted of brushing his teeth, washing his face, and taming his bedhead. Then he changed his clothes and made his way to the door. As he was about to open it, a voice stopped him.

 

“Noctis?”

 

The raven turned around to see that Sapphire was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. “Sapphire! Sorry, did I wake you?”

 

“Do not worry about me. I assure you I slept well. Although, I am wondering why you are up at this hour.”

 

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, Prompto isn't here so I was just gonna go look for him.”

 

Sapphire smiled tiredly at Noctis and began to get up from bed. “I shall go with you then.”

 

“Oh, that's not necessary -”

 

“Nonsense. I could use some time out of the room anyway.”

 

Noctis shrugged. “Alright then.” He opened the door and gestured for Sapphire to walk through. “After you.”

 

The woman nodded and stepped out of the room. Noctis sighed to himself, for he had hoped to find the blonde on his own.

 

 

 

The pair walked out of the motel and looked around. It was already apparent that the blonde was not outside. Noctis proceeded to make his way to the diner across the street with Sapphire following behind him. As they entered the diner, the smell of hot greasy food hit them.

 

Immediately, Noctis spotted his partner in crime, sitting at the counter while talking to the chef who was cooking. He was laughing at something that the chef said and in all honesty, Prompto's laugh was like music to Noctis' ears. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

 

“Seems like he made a new friend,” chuckled Sapphire.

 

“Prompto has always been very friendly, even to strangers,” said Noctis as he made his way to the blonde. He took a seat next to him and faced Prompto, resting his face on his hand. “So, you come here often?”

 

The blonde yelped and jumped in his seat. He turned toward his friend and put a hand to his chest. “Noct! What are you doing here?”

 

“I could ask you the same thing blondie.” Noctis raised a skeptical eyebrow.

 

“No, I mean, it's too early for you to be awake, man.”

 

“Oh, yeah.”

 

“Noctis was just worried about you Prompto, that's all,” Sapphire said with a smile.

 

As if just noticing the woman's presence, Prompto stuttered and turned away. He tapped his fingers on the counter to busy himself. Noctis, of course, noticed this and let out an annoyed huff. He crossed his arms. “So, what are you doing here so early?”

 

“I … umm … I was just getting some food for Sapphi – I mean all of us! You know, for when everyone's awake?”

 

“You mean breakfast?”

 

“Yeah, that!”

 

Sapphire let out a soft giggle and Prompto smiled at the sound of it. Noctis could only watch with annoyance.

 

“How considerate of you,” Noctis said grumpily.

 

“Geez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” chuckled Prompto.

 

“Yeah cause you woke me up.”

 

“What?! How?”

 

“Cause … cause you just did alright!”

 

Sapphire watched the two bicker with a fond look. It was obvious that the two friends cared for each other a lot … well, maybe not obvious to the two of them. She may have only known them for a few hours, but it was apparent that what Prompto and Noctis felt for each other was more than just friendship.

 

“Sir, your order is ready,” the chef placed four plastic bags, each with two foam boxes of food, on the counter.

 

“Thanks!” Prompto placed a few gil in the tip jar before attempting to carry all four bags. Once he realized that he could only grab two, he turned to the raven. “Um, Noct? A little help here?”

 

Noctis shook his head and chuckled, grabbing the remaining two bags. “If we didn't come here, how would you have managed?”

 

“ … shut up.”

 

Noctis and Prompto carried the bags of food while Sapphire followed, laughing quietly to herself.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sapphire opened the door to the room, since the boys had their hands full. She stepped into the room only to be greeted with a giant key to her face.

 

“Alright lady, where is the dumb prince and innocent blonde?!”

 

Sapphire stared at the boy that was questioning her. It was the one that saved her. She forgot that he didn't know who she was yet. He was suddenly being pulled away by Gladio.

 

“Kid, you can't just go pointing that thing at people you don't know!” exclaimed the shield.

 

“But -”

 

“Sora, what the hell?” Noctis walked past Sapphire into the room.

 

Prompto set the bags down on the floor and put a hand on the woman's shoulder. “You okay?”

 

She smiled sweetly at him and nodded. “Yes.” She turned to the boy. “I'm sorry for startling you young man.”

 

“Sora. I'm Sora. You don't need to apologize. I didn't realize that you knew Noct and Prompto. Sorry about that.” Sora smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Not to be rude or anything, but who are you?”

 

“Oh, how rude of me. I am Sapphire, well, at least that's the name everyone agreed on.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Sapphire doesn't remember anything of who she is, including her name, so we gave her one to call her by for now,” Noctis replied as he picked up the remaining two bags that Prompto had put down.

 

“Alright, that's a start, but like how do you know Noct and Prompto?”

 

Sapphire chuckled. “Well, when I first met you all, I was a bit more large and snake-like.”

 

Sora gasped. “You were the daemon?! So that means that it actually worked! I was able to change you back!”

 

“And I am immensely grateful to you for that,” Sapphire said as she bowed her head in thanks.

 

Sora giggled. “You don't need to bow. I'm not royalty unlike Noct here.” Sora gestured to the raven while Prompto mouthed the word “no” over and over again while shaking his head. “Uhhh, I mean … oops?”

 

Prompto face palmed while Sora tried to take back what he said, even though it was futile. Sapphire looked at Noctis and tilted her head. “Royalty?”

 

Noctis sighed and shrugged in defeat as if he had been caught for a crime he had committed. “Y-yeah.”

 

It was at this moment that Ignis stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered. “Noct here is the Prince of Lucis.”

 

“Please don't bow! Please,” Noctis said quickly. “It's not really necessary. I'm just another person like you.”

 

“Noct -”

 

Noctis held up a hand. “It's alright Iggy. I'm just saying what is true.”

 

Ignis held his tongue and nodded. “As you wish.”

 

Prompto softly smiled at the raven. Noctis had always liked to consider himself as an equal to everyone else. He didn't believe he was higher than anyone just because he was royalty. He had told the blonde this a few weeks shortly after they began their friendship in high school. And whenever Prompto saw Noctis voice this thought out loud, it made his heart swell with something he wasn't quite sure of, but he did know one thing … he wanted to keep feeling this way.

 

 

 

After breakfast, everyone packed up and got ready to head for Cape Caem. Ignis had apparently done some research and found out that the boats at Gualdin Quay were currently not taking anyone out of Lucis, but Cid had called saying that Noctis' father's boat was docked at Cape Caem and ready to take them to Altissia. Right now though, they were currently staring at the Regalia, wondering how everyone was going to fit.

 

“So obviously Sapphire is gonna sit in the front cause I would not want her to put up with sitting in between Noct and Gladio,” said Prompto.

 

“Hey, I am a swell person to sit next to,” retorted Noctis.

 

“Which is why I'll be sitting next to you buddy.” Prompto nudged him and winked which only caused the raven's cheeks to turn pink. “Gladio, of course, will sit in his usual seat.”

 

Sora flailed his arms. “Wait! What about me?”

 

“That's easy little buddy!” Prompto chuckled and ruffled the brunette's hair. “You'll be sitting on me and Noct -”

 

“No,” said Noctis in a monotone voice.

 

“Umm, okay. Guess you'll just be sitting on my lap then.”

 

“I'm willing to have the kid once your legs die,” Gladio spoke up.

 

“I'm surprised tough guy,” Noctis said with a smirk.

 

“Hey, I adopted this kid!”

 

“You adopted him?” Prompto raised an eyebrow.

 

“Did I stutter?!”

 

Prompto made an unintelligible noise at hearing Gladio's answer. Noctis and Sapphire had a giggling fit while Ignis just shook his head. “Now that the … seating chart … has been decided, shall we be on our way?”

 

“Yeah!” Sora cheered enthusiastically.

 

Ignis sighed. “This is going to be a very long drive.”

 

 

 

As night was approaching, Sora was able to notice a beam of red light shooting up toward the sky. He pointed it out. “What's that?”

 

Ignis glanced at the light. “Impossible! The Empire is here too?!”

 

“You've gotta be kidding me,” said Noctis.

 

“What? What's gotta be kidding you?” asked Sora.

 

“That red light signifies that the Empire has a base there,” answered Gladio.

 

“Ohhhh … wait so are we gonna like, destroy it then?”

 

“That's the plan,” answered the prince.

 

“Noct, if I may?” piped in Ignis.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Perhaps we can do some reconnaissance and gather information about the Empire's next move before we go in there guns blazing.”

 

“You know, he does have a point,” said Prompto.

 

“Fine, fine. We'll go with Iggy's idea.”

 

With that, Ignis parked the car near a haven. Gladio, Ignis, Prompto, and Noctis set up the tent and chairs.

 

“Sapphire, it would be best if you stayed here until we come back,” said Ignis.

 

She nodded. “Please be careful. I would hate to see something bad happen to you all.”

 

Prompto smirked. “Don't worry! We'll be back before you know it!”

 

Sapphire smiled at the blonde. “I do hope so.” The woman then placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead. “May you all return safely.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Noct, focus!”

 

“Shut up Prompto!”

 

The raven had been too busy thinking about Sapphire and Prompto, that he completely forgot to activate the switch that would let his friends into the base. After leaving the haven, Ignis had constructed a plan in which Noctis would warp into the base, take out any enemies that were patrolling the area, and find a way to open the gate to the base so the group could meet up and go from there.

 

Once he activated the switch and opened the gate, he went to the center of the base where most of the immobile magiteck troopers were. He had the uncomfortable feeling of someone watching him but there was no one around. Then, as he felt the tip of something sharp against his back, he realized that he was right.

 

“Don't summon your weapon and don't make any noise unless you want us and your friends to die.”

 

Noctis grumbled and turned around to see a woman wielding a lance at him. She had shoulder-length silver hair and green eyes. She wore a black helmet that didn't do much to cover her face, black and red scaly armor, a long white cape, and heeled boots that were a crimson color.

 

“Who the hell are you?” asked Noctis.

 

“Look, right now I don't have time to tell you who I am. We only have a minute or so before they wake up.”

 

“What?”

 

“Ugh! You idiot! We need to get out of here now!”

 

She grabbed Noctis by the wrist and began running toward the gate. Noctis, with little to no choice, followed after. He could see his friends running toward them, getting ready to summon their weapons at seeing the state that the prince was in.

 

“Yield your weapons and get out of here!” said the prince.

 

Suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the base and the once immobile magiteck troopers powered on and headed toward them.

 

“Shit! It's already starting,” cursed the mysterious woman. The gate began to close before them. “Come on!” She continued running, dragging Noctis behind her.

 

Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto followed them but Sora stood where he was, frozen. He kept staring at the magiteck troopers that were heading toward him.

 

“Sora come on!” Prompto had run back to the brunette.

 

“They – they're here,” Sora said with a tremble in his voice.

 

Prompto looked up to see that the magiteck troopers were getting even closer to them now. He grabbed the boy's arm and ran off with him, just in time to escape the base.

 

 

 

After a couple of minutes of running away from the base, an explosion shook the ground beneath them. Everyone stumbled and stopped. They turned around and saw that the base was on fire.

 

“Guess we can stop running now,” said the woman.

 

“Great,” Noctis summoned his sword. “So, now you can either tell me who you are or -”

 

“Or you'll kill me. Yeah, I've heard this many times before, pretty boy.”

 

“Did – Did she just call Noct pretty?” Prompto whispered to Ignis.

 

The woman heard Prompto's whispering and turned to look at him. “Don't worry shortcake, you're not far from pretty either.” She then smirked and winked at him, causing Prompto to become a stuttering mess.

 

“Damn, she's good. She managed to break our Prompto without even laying a finger on him,” said Gladio.

 

This just seemed to agitate Noctis even more. “Alright, listen here lady -”

 

“Aranea.”

 

“What?”

 

“My name. It's Aranea. Aranea Highwind.”

 

“The Imperial Commodore?” asked Ignis.

 

“The one and only.”

 

Noctis raised his blade to her. “So why shouldn't we kill you? You're obviously working with the Empire.”

 

“More like was.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

Aranea reached out and pushed the blade down with her finger. “Think about it. I just betrayed the Empire by foiling that little stunt they were trying to pull on you guys. Hell, I was supposed to be part of it, but instead I got you guys out of there and saved your asses.”

 

“Still doesn't explain why you did it,” said Gladio.

 

Aranea sighed and crossed her arms. “Look, up until now, I was hired by the Empire to fight for them. That was until I recently found out what they were doing.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“They're harvesting daemons and using them to make weapons. Now I've done some pretty bad stuff for money, but when it comes to some immoral crap like that, that's where I draw the line.”

 

“So, does that mean that you're on our side?” Prompto asked, somewhat hopeful.

 

“Maybe, maybe not.”

 

“It's a simple yes or no question,” said the shield.

 

Aranea rolled her eyes. “Yes, there you happy?”

 

“Ecstatic,” Ignis said in a deadpan voice.

 

“Great! So let's just head back to camp and -”

 

“Prompto!” everyone scolded.

 

“What?”

 

“She is not coming with us!” said Noctis.

 

“And here I thought we could be friends,” Aranea said sarcastically.

 

“Guys, come on! She just said that she was done fighting for the Empire! She's on our side!” argued Prompto.

 

Noctis rolled his eyes and scoffed. “You trust her that fast Prompto? Really? What the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“I could ask you the same thing Noct!”

 

“What are you going on about now?! It always seems like you have something to complain about nowadays!”

 

“Me?! I'm the one that complains?! Excuse me _Your Highness_! I didn't know that voicing my concerns annoyed you!”

 

“It only annoys me when they come from stupid annoying blondes!”

 

As if struck with a blade, Prompto stepped away from his so-called best friend. He looked at the raven with sadness and fear in his eyes, but only for a second. He walked up to him and poked him in the chest.

 

“Now listen hear, _Noctis Lucis Caelum_ ,” Prompto said with anger in his eyes and determination in his voice, “I don't give a shit about your feelings toward me right now. In fact, it doesn't matter if you hate me or don't want to be my friend anymore. But you know what does matter? What matters is that we have a duty to take back Lucis and defeat the Empire. I promised the king that I would protect you throughout this journey no matter what, and I am not letting some stupid tantrum of yours get in the way of that. Understand?” Prompto faced Ignis, Gladio, and a still shocked Sora. “Aranea knows more about the Empire than we do right now and she can be more useful than you think, especially in Altissia. She probably knows their next move and it would be foolish to leave her behind.” And with that, the blonde began making his way to the campsite.

 

Noctis was stunned and didn't know what to do or say. Gladio looked surprised that Prompto was even capable of acting that way toward the prince. Aranea just looked at Prompto's form and chuckled.

 

“That kid's got heart.” She walked after him.

 

Ignis coughed to clear some of the silence. “Well then, it seems like the commodore is coming with us to Altissia.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Oh, you're alright!”

 

Sapphire ran to the blonde and hugged him. Prompto was a little surprised at the action, but he hugged her back either way. “Told you we would be back.”

 

Sapphire pulled away and smiled. “And you upheld your promise.” She then noticed Aranea standing slightly behind the blonde. “Oh, hello. Who might you be?”

 

Aranea let out the first genuine smile that Prompto saw, and held out her hand to Sapphire. “I'm Aranea. I'm gonna be helping out Prompto and the others with their little mission.”

 

Sapphire took her hand and shook it. “It is a pleasure to meet you Aranea. I am Sapphire.”

 

“With etiquette like that, I would have mistaken you for royalty.”

 

Sapphire chuckled. “I assure you, I am nothing of the sort.”

 

“Good, cause if all royal members have mental breakdowns like this one over here,” she gestured to Noctis, who was a short walking distance away from the camp, “I'd like to minimize my affiliations with royalty.”

 

Once everyone else finally reached the haven, they took notice of Sora's shaken up state. Ignis made him a hot cup of tea while Gladio had him sit in a chair. Sapphire covered Sora in a blanket. She sat in a chair next to him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. Noctis sat next to her, making sure to keep his distance from Prompto and Aranea. Ignis sat next to Noctis, after trying to give up his chair to Aranea, who refused to sit next to the prince. Prompto, Aranea, and Gladio sat on the other side of Sora on the floor.

 

“What's gotten you all shaken up, Sora?” asked Gladio.

 

Sora just stared into the fire. He took a sip of tea and closed his eyes, letting out a breath.

 

“Give him some time. Poor kid is still trying to process everything,” said Aranea.

 

Noctis was about to retort but Ignis stopped him. “Perhaps she is right. Sora will tell us when he is ready.”

 

 

 

As the night went on, Sora remained quite and motionless. He ate dinner, just like everyone else, but didn't make a sound. Eventually, everyone became tired. Noctis and Sapphire slept a little earlier than everyone else. Ignis suggested that he and Gladio would sleep outside on the chairs so Prompto, Aranea, and Sora could fit in the tent as well.

 

Aranea just shook her head. “No thanks. If I sleep in the tent with His Royal Highness in there, I won't live to see another day. Plus, I know when I'm not wanted. I'll sleep out here.”

 

Prompto frowned at her words. “I'll stay out here too, Iggy. You, Gladio, and Sora take the tent.”

 

Ignis reluctantly agreed. “As you wish.” He brought them extra blankets.

 

Aranea and Prompto sat down in the camping chairs while Ignis and Gladio walked toward Sora.

 

“Sora, it's getting late. We should head inside and get some rest,” said Gladio.

 

“They're here,” Sora said quietly, staring into the fire.

 

Everyone looked at the boy, surprised. Gladio seemed to be the only one who remained calm and collected.

 

“Who's here?” he asked with a gentle tone.

 

Sora looked up at Gladio and what the shield saw broke his heart. He saw absolute fear in Sora's eyes. He looked completely terrified.

 

“Those things … at the base ...”

 

“The magiteck troopers?”

 

Sora slowly nodded. “These looked different though. They looked less … dark.”

 

“You've seen them before?”

 

Sora nodded once more as a tear slid down his cheek.

 

“Those magiteck troopers … they were the ones that attacked us on the Gummi Ship. They were the ones that took Riku.”

 


	13. Farewell Lucis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So today marks the one year anniversary of this fic! I can't believe it's already been a year! Thank y'all so much for sticking with me throughout this whole time! I can only hope that you will all be here for the rest of the ride!
> 
> So, as usual, I hope you enjoy this chapter and stick around for many more!
> 
> Tumblr: @l-curasha-l

 

“ _We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other.”_

 

\- Squall Leonhart, Kingdom Hearts

 

 

 

There was only silence that followed what Sora said. No one knew what they were supposed to say because they were still processing the information. Magiteck troopers were now leaving this world and possibly going to others. The same troopers that attacked Sora and his friends. The same troopers that turned Riku into a daemon.

 

“You guys are really quite.”

 

Everyone looked at the brunette and tried to regain their composure.

 

“It's just a shock to find out that the Empire is not just trying to take over Lucis, but possibly wreak havoc on other worlds as well,” answered Ignis.

 

Sora nodded in understanding. “Those troopers though … the ones that attacked the ship … they weren't just some robots.”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Gladio.

 

“I told you when I first got here that heartless attacked the ship … weird heartless. The magiteck troopers on the ship were heartless.” Sora stood up slowly and summoned his keyblade. “That still doesn't explain how they were able to leave this world … unless someone with immense dark power was with them.” Sora suddenly noticed that Aranea was staring intently at the keyblade. “Oh, this is a-”

 

“Keyblade?” Aranea answered.

 

“Ye – Yeah. How did you know?”

 

“A few weeks ago, I had to report back to the imperial chancellor. Thing was, I overheard him talking to someone … unfamiliar. So I decided to listen in on the conversation. I couldn't hear much but I did pick up a few strange things. He was talking about some sort of keyblade and a … keyhole was it? I don't know but it was very weird. And the guy he was talking to was even weirder.”

 

“Who was it?” asked Ignis.

 

Aranea shook her head. “I don't know. When I tried to sneak a peek, the chancellor was there by himself.”

 

“Was he talking to himself?” asked Prompto.

 

“Hell no. I heard another voice talking to him. No way was he talking to himself.” Aranea stood up and walked up to Sora, examining the keyblade. “Anyway, this person he was talking to told him to find a princess of heart. Something about using the heart's power for something. I'm not sure what. The rest was kind of muffled.”

 

“So the imperial chancellor knows about the heartless, the keyblade, the princesses of heart, and some keyhole was it?” asked Ignis.

 

“Oh right! I've only told Gladio about the keyholes,” said Sora.

 

“You what now?” asked a confused Gladio.

 

“Remember? Before we had that training session at Gualdin Quay you asked how to get rid of the heartless and I said that I would have to lock this world's keyhole?”

 

“Kid, I never asked you about that.”

 

Sora shook his head. “Gladio, I'm not crazy. I was talking to you.”

 

“Sorry kid, but you weren't.”

 

“But ...” Sora pouted and crossed his arms under the blanket. “So what? I just talked to someone that looked exactly like you?”

 

“Either that or you're crazy,” chuckled the shield.

 

“I am not crazy! I am very uncrazy thank you very much!”

 

“Wait, maybe he's not crazy,” said Prompto in thought.

 

“Thank you!”

 

“What do you mean? I would have remembered if he told me something important like that. Heck, I would have even told you guys about it,” said Gladio.

 

“Exactly, which is why Sora didn't talk to Gladio.”

 

Aranea looked at Prompto like he was crazy. “You lost me blondie.”

 

“We live in a world with a bunch of strange magic that we don't even understand. Who's to say that what happened with Sora wasn't magic?”

 

“Prompto, I don't understand what you're -”

 

“Just hear me out okay? What if, and this is a big if, but what if the Gladio that Sora talked to that day was someone else disguised as him?”

 

“I'd like to know what makeup they're using then cause it sounds like it's pretty good,” teased Aranea.

 

“They didn't use makeup.”

 

“Then what did they use?” asked Gladio.

 

“Magic.”

 

“You know, that actually isn't as ridiculous as I thought it would be,” said Ignis.

 

“I love that you have the utmost confidence in me Iggy.”

 

Sora chuckled, relieved that he was able to laugh in this situation. “But who would have that type of magic here?”

 

“It's quite simple really.”

 

“It is?” asked Prompto.

 

Ignis nodded. “Who is the only one, besides us now, that knows about the keyblade, keyhole, and princesses of heart?”

 

“The chancellor of course,” answered Aranea.

 

“Correct. And Sora told someone, that wasn't Gladio, about the keyhole, did he not?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So this leads me to believe that the one Sora actually spoke to was the chancellor in disguise.”

 

“Is it even possible for him to have that sort of magic?” asked Gladio.

 

“It's not as far fetched as it sounds actually. I've been around the chancellor long enough to know that he's a weird creepy guy that's done some unusual things. Him having magic would make some sort of sense,” explained Aranea.

 

“So the imperial chancellor has this information about the keyblade and its properties … how bad is this Sora?” asked Ignis.

 

“Pretty bad. From what Aranea said, he may be looking for the keyhole to this world and he definitely is looking for a princess of heart here too,” said Sora.

 

“So what do we do? The chancellor seems to know what he's doing. He probably knows where this princess of heart is by now,” said Prompto in slight panic.

 

“Exactly, which is why we keep going on with our mission,” said Ignis.

 

“Say what now?”

 

“By continuing our quest, we are bound to run into the chancellor, after all, he will be trying to stop Noct from forging a covenant with Leviathan. I am almost certain that he will be in Altissia.”

 

“And he will,” Aranea butted in. Everyone looked at her. “After he was done getting rid of you guys, or most of you at the base, he was going to head for Altissia in order to interrupt that whole covenant thing. He also said something about finding the brightest of lights there.”

 

“He's talking about the princess of heart! There's no doubt about it!” exclaimed Sora.

 

“Well, we'll just have to find her before he does, now won't we?” Ignis suggested.

 

“By the way, what's the name of this creepy bastard?” Gladio asked Aranea.

 

Aranea scowled. “Ardyn Izunia.”

 

 

 

It was 11 at night and Prompto still couldn't fall asleep. He was busy looking through the photos in his camera, particularly the ones of him and Noctis, wondering what he did wrong to be hated by his best friend. He sighed once he reached the end of the camera roll and just went back to the beginning to scroll through the pictures all over again.

 

“That's a pretty nice one.”

 

Prompto yelped and nearly dropped his camera. He turned his head and nearly bumped his nose into Aranea's cheek. Apparently, she had scooted her chair right next to his at some point and was almost resting her chin on his shoulder. Almost.

 

“Oh, uhh, thanks. I took it myself,” answered Prompto.

 

Aranea rolled her eyes. “No shit Sherlock.”

 

Prompto chuckled nervously and kept scrolling through the pictures. He stopped at one of Noctis looking out at the sunset. He slightly smiled as he admired the picture.

 

“You really like him, don't you?”

 

“Wha – What do you mean?”

 

“Come on blondie. It's pretty obvious that you've got a thing for Mr. Grumpy pants.”

 

Prompto frowned and scrolled to the next picture. “It doesn't matter what I do or don't feel. Noct has made it pretty clear how he feels about me.”

 

Aranea groaned. “You're so oblivious. He says that stuff cause he cares.”

 

Prompto stared at Aranea. “How the hell does that make sense?”

 

“You've gotta feel love before you can feel jealousy.”

 

“I'm gonna pretend like I don't know what that means.” Prompto put down his camera and turned his head to Aranea, not expecting that he would be nose to nose with her. He gulped nervously but didn't look away from her. Aranea didn't even move. She just looked at the blonde with a somewhat concerned expression.

 

“Are you scared of someone actually feeling love for you?” she asked quietly.

 

Prompto closed his eyes and sighed. “No one should have to love me.”

 

Aranea looked at him sadly. “You're worth more than you think, shortcake.”

 

 

 

Noctis stepped out of the tent, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. He walked over to Ignis, who was making breakfast.

 

“Morning,” said the prince.

 

“Good morning. Sleep well?” Ignis handed a plate to Noctis who accepted it with thanks.

 

“Yeah, I guess.”

 

“Is Sapphire still asleep?”

 

“Yeah. I didn't see Gladio in there though. Where is he?”

 

“He went off to scout the area to make sure that there were no leftover magiteck troopers wandering about.”

 

“And Prompto and Aranea?”

 

“They're right behind you.”

 

Noctis turned around only to see the most horrifying sight ever. Prompto and Aranea were sleeping in their own chairs, which were right next to each other, and Aranea was resting her head on Prompto's shoulder while Prompto's head was resting on Aranea's head.

 

Noctis stuttered, unable to form words. Ignis just smirked and continued to serve food onto plates.

 

“Well isn't that something.”

 

Noctis turned around to find Gladio walking up to the haven, looking out at Prompto and Aranea. He crossed his arms and smirked at the prince, who had a scowl on his face.

 

“It seems like that they got along quite well, don't you think Gladio?” Ignis asked with a teasing tone to his voice.

 

“Honestly, I didn't think Prompto had it in him.”

 

Noctis grumbled to himself and stomped to a nearby chair. He sat down and angrily ate his breakfast. Ignis and Gladio just watched him and snickered.

 

“Gladio, will you please tell everyone else that breakfast is ready?” asked Ignis.

 

“Will do.” Gladio walked up to a sleeping Prompto and ruffled his hair. The blonde stirred and opened his eyes. “Iggy made breakfast.”

 

Prompto nodded sleepily. He then realized that Aranea was still asleep, and on his shoulder nonetheless. He gently nudged her visible shoulder.

 

“Aranea. Aranea, wake up.”

 

The silvernette woke up and looked up at Prompto. She gave him a small smile. “Morning sunshine.”

 

“M – Morning,” the blonde responded.

 

She sat back in her chair and stretched. “You know, you're actually pretty comfortable to sleep on.”

 

Prompto chuckled. “Glad I could be of service.”

 

Gladio stepped out of the tent with Sapphire. “Good morning everyone,” she said.

 

Everyone replied while Ignis gave each person their food. At the end, he had two plates left in his hands. One was for himself, but the other one was for -

 

“Has anyone seen Sora?”

 

“He's not in the tent?” asked Prompto.

 

Gladio shook his head and replied with some panic in his tone. “No, I just went in there.”

 

“You're saying that you guys lost the kid?” asked Aranea with a smirk.

 

“Oh gods I hope not,” Noctis said in a rather bored tone as he stuffed his mouth with eggs.

 

“Damn it! We lost him. I'm a terrible father!” exclaimed Gladio.

 

“Gladio, you are not Sora's fath -”

 

“Shut up you British twat!”

 

Ignis could only blink in shock. Aranea just burst out laughing while Prompto just smiled softly at her. Noctis only glared at the two and shoved more food into his mouth.

 

“Hey everyone! Look what I found!”

 

Everyone turned toward the voice to find that it was coming from none other than Sora. He was running toward the haven waving around a -

 

“Stick! I found a stick!”

 

“Oh my gods, we broke Sora,” Gladio said.

 

The keyblade wielder ran up to the haven. “And it's not just any stick!” He ran up behind Noctis. “It's a stick that can hopefully knock some sense into Noctis!” He then proceeded to hit Noctis on the head with it.

 

“Ow! What the hell Sora?!”

 

Everyone laughed at the boy's antics. Even Noctis couldn't help but join in the laughter. It was just nice to forget about the world and its problems and just live in the moment.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It seemed like the world wanted to give Noctis more problems at the moment. In fact, said problem was right next to him. After breakfast, everyone got into the Regalia to head the rest of the way to Cape Caem. Because there was another person in the car, the seating arrangements had to be redone. Noctis had quickly said that no one was going to be sitting on his lap. Aranea only responded with a sly smirk and said that she would just have to sit on Prompto's lap then.

 

So here the raven was, pressing himself against the door and staring out at the passing scenery to avoid looking at Aranea and Prompto. Ignis was driving, Sapphire was sitting shotgun, and Sora was sitting on Gladio's lap, talking animatedly about how he thought Altissia would be. Aranea was on Prompto's lap of course, with her back to him. So far, Prompto had been a blushing mess.

 

“So blondie, why do you use a gun?”

 

“Because he wants to. You have a problem with that?” responded Noctis grumpily.

 

Aranea scoffed at him. “So, he speaks. And I'm asking _Prompto_ because I was curious to see why _he_ chose to use a firearm. After all, Lucians usually use blades or javelins don't they? Guns are more a weapon of choice for Niflheim.”

 

“Umm – we-well it's just that – you see -”

 

“Hold on. It's really awkward for you to talk to my back. Let me just ...” Aranea turned around and straddled Prompto. “Much better. You were saying?”

 

Prompto couldn't form a coherent sentence. He was too busy trying to will a certain part of his body to control itself.

 

Noctis on the other hand was furious. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was like the gods of fate wanted to purposefully torture him by using Prompto! It just wasn't fair. He'd known Prompto for years and Aranea only had known him for a few hours and was already getting him to blush and feel all sorts of things. Why couldn't he make Prompto feel that way?

 

“Uhhhh.” Prompto couldn't think or speak properly.

 

Aranea chuckled and wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders. “What's wrong shortcake? Never had a girl on your lap before?”

 

Prompto looked away from her and blushed profusely. “N – No.”

 

“I'm surprised.”

 

Noctis couldn't help but stare. _What the hell is that supposed to mean! Wait … is she … flirting with him?_

 

Aranea reached up with one hand and started playing with the blonde's fringe. “How does a cutie like you remain single?”

 

Prompto chuckled, gaining a little bit of confidence. “I ask myself the same thing every day.”

 

Aranea giggled and continued to converse with him. The two got along extremely well. They looked and talked to each other like they had been best friends for a long time. Hell, they looked like a freaking married couple. It made Noctis' blood boil.

 

After another agonizing hour of being on the road, the gang finally arrived at Cape Caem. A girl with short brown hair was outside waving at them happily.

 

“Hey everyone!” she greeted.

 

“Hey Iris!” Prompto greeted back.

 

Gladio walked up to Iris and hugged her tightly, spinning her around. “Sora, Sapphire, Aranea, this is my little sister Iris.”

 

Iris smiled at them. “It's nice to see you're making new friends, Gladdy.”

 

“This one here isn't my friend though.” Gladio pulled Sora next to him.

 

“I'm not?” Sora asked, clearly confused.

 

“Nope. He's my son. Iris, this is your nephew.”

 

Iris looked between Gladio and Sora. Sora just shrugged at her and said, “I guess I am.”

 

The girl giggled. “Sorry about my dork of a brother, Sora. He tends to claim anything, or anyone he likes.”

 

“Don't worry. He's pretty cool,” Sora replied as he playfully shoved Gladio's arm.

 

“Hey, why don't I show you around while the others meet up with Cid? You can even meet Talcott! I'm sure he'd love another person to show his cactuar collection to!”

 

Sora laughed. “Sure! Lead the way!”

 

The two ran off toward the small cabin while Gladio just watched.

 

“Seems like someone just stole your sister away from you,” Noctis said with a smirk.

 

The shield shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn't bother me. After all, Sora is a good kid. I wouldn't mind if the two actually got together or something.”

 

The raven's smirk was wiped off his face at this answer, for he was not expecting it. “Really?”

 

Gladio wrapped an arm over Noctis' shoulders. “Think about it Noct. They'd probably make the most beautiful babies.”

 

“Okay! Thanks for the unwanted image in my head now!”

 

“Perv!”

 

“Who's a perv?” Aranea asked as she walked up behind them.

 

“His Royal Highness,” answered the shield. “Sicko was imagining Sora and Iris getting it on.”

 

“What the – It's your freaking fault for saying they'd make beautiful babies!” Noctis said in defense.

 

Aranea laughed at this. Ignis, Prompto, and Sapphire came up to join the rest of them.

 

Gladio suddenly got an idea and smirked. “You know who else would make beautiful babies?”

 

Noctis looked at Gladio, somewhat worried over what his answer would be.

 

“Prompto and Aranea.”

 

It instantly became silent. Even Aranea was left speechless. And was that a blush that Noctis saw forming on her cheeks?

 

Eventually, Prompto broke the silence by laughing nervously. “Gladio, please. With my blonde hair and freckles, our kids would come out -”

 

“Looking absolutely adorable,” Aranea interrupted as she leaned on the blonde's shoulder.

 

Ignis looked at the two in thought. “I daresay that Gladio may be right.”

 

“You two would have wonderful children indeed,” said Sapphire with a giggle.

 

“What do you say blondie? Should we test out that theory?” Aranea asked teasingly.

 

Prompto laughed. “As long as we have at least one girl.”

 

Everyone laughed as they made their way to the lighthouse to meet up with Cid. Well, everyone except Noctis that is. He grumbled to himself as he followed everyone else.

 

_Stupid Aranea and her stupid charisma and her stupid charm and her stupid looks._

 

By the time Noctis finished complaining to himself, he and the others had already reached the lighthouse. Cid was standing at the entrance, arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently.

 

“It's about time y'all got here,” the man said.

 

“Nice to see you too Cid,” chuckled Gladio.

 

“We're almost ready to set sail. Cindy's just makin' some minor adjustments and then we should be ready to go.”

 

“Wait, you're coming with us?” asked the prince.

 

“Course I am. Unless one of you knows how to man a boat?”

 

“Um, no?”

 

“Then you're stuck with me.” It was at this moment that Cid realized there were two new faces in the group, including Sapphire. His eyes widened and he looked shocked. “Au-” He abruptly stopped himself from finishing the word. He shook his head. “You've got some newbies with ya?”

 

“Oh yeah! This is Aranea and Sapphire,” said Prompto.

 

Aranea nodded her head in greeting while Sapphire smiled and held out her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Cid shook her hand in disbelief. “How'd y'all come across these two?”

 

“Aranea saved us from an imperial base. Sapphire here was a daemon but we were able to transform her back. Well, Sora was able to anyway,” Noctis replied.

 

“A daemon you say? Now how did that happen?” Cid asked Sapphire.

 

She shook her head and gave him an apologetic look. “I am sorry but I do not know. I can't seem to remember anything of who I was or what happened to me.”

 

Cid nodded. “Don't worry about it. Are you gonna come along with us?”

 

“If I may, I believe it would be better if you'd stay here Sapphire. We wouldn't want to put you in any danger,” said Ignis.

 

Sapphire nodded in understanding. “Of course. Can I at least bid you all a farewell before you go?”

 

Ignis smiled. “Of course.”

 

Cid cleared his throat. “Alright then. Everyone into the elevator.”

 

“Wait! We need to get Sora!” said Prompto.

 

“Don't worry. I've got this,” Gladio responded confidently. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “SORA!”

 

Almost instantly, the young teen burst out of the cabin, running toward the group while laughing hysterically. Behind him, Iris and Talcott chased after him. Sora jumped on Noctis and grabbed onto him like a koala. The raven grabbed onto Sora, making sure that he didn't drop him.

 

“Noct! Protect me!” Sora exclaimed.

 

“What? Why?” asked a baffled Noctis.

 

“Iris and Talcott are trying to kill me and I know for a fact that they won't hurt royalty, so you're my bodyguard now.”

 

“Awww, come on Sora! We just wanna see if you're ticklish, that's all,” whined Talcott.

 

“Well I'm not!” responded Sora.

 

“Then why are you running?!” retorted Iris.

 

Sora gave Iris a pout, then turned his face to Gladio. “So, you called me?”

 

“Yeah. We're getting ready to set sail in a bit,” responded the shield.

 

“Awesome! Onward Noct!”

 

Noctis rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” He stepped into the elevator, still carrying the boy. He smiled to himself, glad that he had Sora by his side to make his day a little brighter.

 

 

 

“Howdy y'all!”

 

As everyone stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by Cid's granddaughter, Cindy. She was covered in grease and grime, but she still managed to look good.

 

“H-Hey Cindy!” said Prompto as he shyly waved at her.

 

Cindy smiled at him before turning her attention to Noctis. “She's all ready for ya! Didn't need much tweaking. She was well taken care of.” She gestured to the boat as she wiped some oil off of her forehead.

 

Noctis put Sora down. “Thanks for taking care of my dad's boat Cindy.”

 

“No problem Your Highness.” It was at this moment that she noticed a mesmerized Sora staring at her. “And who's this lil' cutie?”

 

“Hi! I'm Sora! You're really pretty!” responded the teen.

 

Cindy reached down and pinched Sora's cheek. “Well aren't you just the sweetest thing!”

 

“What?!” Prompto exclaimed in disbelief. Everyone looked at him. “I-I mean … so when are we gonna leave for Altissia?”

 

“I'd suggest as soon as possible since y'all are on a time crunch,” Cid said.

 

Ignis nodded. “We should leave right away Noct.”

 

Noctis nodded in agreement. “You're right. Alright everyone let's-”

 

“Wait!” shouted Prompto.

 

Noctis huffed and turned to the blonde. “What?”

 

“Can we … Can we take a group picture before we leave? I just … I don't know when we'll see everyone again.”

 

At hearing the blonde's words, the prince gave him a soft look and a small smile. “Sure Prompto.”

 

Everyone scrambled to get into different poses as Prompto set up the timer on his camera. Gladio picked up Iris and carried her bridal style, Cindy wrapped her arms around Cid and Ignis, Aranea and Sapphire stood back to back, holding up their hands like a gun, and Sora carried Talcott on his shoulders. Prompto then ran back and stood a few steps away from Noctis.

 

“Come on y'all! Have fun with it!” said Cindy.

 

“Yeah! You two are best friends! At least hug or something!” said Iris.

 

“Hug him Noct! Or am I gonna have to knock some more sense into you?” teased Sora.

 

Prompto laughed nervously. “Come on Sora, you know Noct isn't gonna -” He was cut off as he was suddenly pulled against the raven's chest. He looked up at him, surprised. “Noct, you don't have to do this you know.”

 

Noctis smiled at Prompto. “I know, but I want to.”

 

Prompto blushed and smiled. He then hugged him back and turned his face toward the camera. “Ready?”

 

Noctis looked down at the blonde, studying his smiling face. He was absolutely perfect. “You know what? I think I am.”

 

 

 

Noctis always hated goodbyes. Even now, as he waited to say goodbye to Sapphire, who was currently hugging everyone and wishing them well on their journey, he felt a little sad. Once Noctis reached her, she smiled and took his hands in hers.

 

“Dear Noctis. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done,” she said.

 

Noctis smiled back at her. “You sure we haven't met before? You seem vaguely familiar.”

 

“If we did, I cannot remember it.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Regardless, I am glad to have met you now. You are such a brave and brilliant young man. I only wish the best for you.”

 

Noctis chuckled. “You almost sound like a mother.”

 

Sapphire giggled. “Well, I'm sure that your mother would be proud of who you've become.”

 

Noctis was speechless. No one had ever told him that before, and hearing it come from such an honest person made him feel like it was true.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Sapphire nodded. “Well, your friends are waiting for you. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Until we meet again, Noctis.” The woman then cradled the raven's face in her hands and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. This took Noctis completely off guard. When Sapphire pulled away, she realized what she had done and apologized. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. It seemed … instinctual.”

 

Noctis had the sudden urge to hug her and never let go. He wrapped his arms around Sapphire and pulled her in for a hug. He held her tightly and rested his head on her shoulder, a tear falling down his cheek. He didn't know why he needed this moment with her. He didn't know why he was feeling this way. He only knew that he should hold onto her for as long as he could.

 

After a few silent moments, Noctis pulled away and wiped his face. “Sorry. I don't know what got into me.”

 

“Don't ever apologize for showing affection Noctis. Only apologize for not showing it.” As she said this, she looked at Prompto. Noctis turned to see who she was looking at, then looked back at her in question. “Go. He's waiting for you.”

 

 

 

As Cid steered the boat away from the dock, Iris, Cindy, Talcott, and Sapphire waved at them. Prompto and Sora went to the railing and waved frantically at them, yelling out goodbyes and promises of coming back. Noctis chuckled and went up to Ignis, who was leaning against the railing at the front of the boat.

 

“Whatcha thinkin' about Specs?” asked Noctis.

 

Ignis sighed and looked out at the ocean. “The end of our journey. Well, most importantly, yours.”

 

Noctis was silent for a moment. He knew how this all ended. He knew what had to happen to insure that the world was safe. “I thought we agreed to not talk about this.”

 

“I know, I know. I just merely wish to give you a piece of advice.”

 

“Which is?”

 

Ignis turned to the prince and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I suggest if you have something important to say to anyone, that you do it before it's too late.” Then, the adviser left Noctis with his thoughts. He then heard laughter and turned toward it to find that it was coming from Prompto. The raven admired the blonde's face as he laughed beautifully.

 

“Before it's too late, huh?”

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Dark Truths and Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I updated the tags ... 
> 
> Y'all are gonna kill me aren't ya?
> 
> Tumblr: @l-curasha-l

“ _The truth can be most cruel, even amongst the closest of friends. After all, no one never knows the secrets of another's heart.”_

\- Maleficent, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

 

 

 

It had been two days since they had left for Altissia. Two days since they had said goodbye to their friends and their home. Tomorrow they would arrive in Altissia and honestly, Noctis didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand, he was excited to finally see Luna again after all these years, but on the other hand, he was getting closer and closer to his unavoidable fate.

Everyone knew what had to be done. Everyone except Prompto. When Noctis found out about the prophecy and his role in it, he begged Ignis and Gladio to not tell the blonde how a sacrifice had to be made. A sacrifice that only Noctis could make. One that required his life.

He couldn't possibly tell that to Prompto … well not yet anyway. He wanted to spend whatever time he had left with the ones he cared about. He didn't want either of them to mope for him while he was still alive. He didn't want to be reminded of the inevitable.

Which is why he was outside with Prompto waiting for Sora, who had claimed that he had something “awesome” to show them. Noctis hadn't really had a normal conversation with the blonde ever since he lashed out at him. Things between them were still awkward and tense, so the two didn't say a word to each other while they waited for Sora.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long for the teen because five minutes later, he was running to them, keyblade in hand.

“Alright, are you guys ready to go for a swim?!”

Noctis and Prompto just blinked at the brunette. Sora poked Noctis in the chest with his keyblade to get his attention.

“Hello? Did you hear me?”

Noctis shook his head and looked down at him. “Yeah, I heard you. But in case you didn't notice, we're not exactly dressed for swimming. Not to mention that we're in the middle of THE FREAKING OCEAN!”

Sora laughed. “That won't be a problem with what I have planned.”

Prompto chuckled nervously. “And what is it that you have planned?”

“This!” And with that, Sora jumped over the railing of the boat and held his keyblade up high. It glowed brightly until he fell into the water with a splash. Noctis and Prompto peered over the railing, looking for a sign that the teen was alive.

“Oh my gods! Did he just -”

“Yep,” Noctis interrupted, worry in his tone.

“We've – We've gotta stop the boat! We gotta go in there and get Sora! Can he even swim?! What if he can't swim?! He's probably dead by now!”

“Prompto -”

“He's too young to die! He hasn't even gotten to Altissia yet! He really wanted to see Altissia!”

“Prom-”

“Why did we let him do that?! The kid's insane! I mean, who jumps off of a boat like that without any-”

“Prompto!”

“What?!”

“Look!” Noctis pointed to the water. There was some movement and the two could barely make out the shape of a … tail?

Suddenly, Sora's head broke the surface of the water. He looked up and smiled at the two. He went back underwater for a few seconds only to leap into the air and dive back in the water.

Noctis and Prompto couldn't believe what they had just seen. While Sora was in the air, they saw that the boy had a fish tail instead of legs. It was blue and beautiful and unbelievable. It left the two friends stunned and speechless.

“Come on! Jump in!” Sora shouted.

“You want us to jump in the freaking ocean?!” asked Prompto in disbelief.

“Don't worry! My magic will make sure you're okay! Just trust me!”

Prompto shook his head and sighed. “I can't believe I'm listening to a 15 year old.” He then ran to the other end of the ship, and sprinted toward the rail, jumping over it. Sora pointed his keyblade at Prompto as he dived in the air, and a beam of light shot out and hit the blonde. As he fell through the water, Noctis' heart sped up as he looked for any sign of Prompto. It took a few seconds, but eventually Prompto stuck his head out of the water with a gasp and motioned for Noctis to come in.

“Come on Noct! This is amazing!”

Noctis was a little skeptical. “I don't know …”

“Come on! It's perfectly safe!” Behind the blonde, a shimmering golden tail popped out of the water and splashed around him.

Noctis rolled his eyes and began to climb over the railing. “Only cause you said so, blondie.” He then jumped off. As he was in the air, he felt the magic from the keyblade engulf him. It was warm and calming. He didn't even realize he was underwater until he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Prompto staring back at him with a grin. Noctis looked down at where his legs used to be to find a black tail.

Prompto swam circles around the prince, eyes taking in his entire body. “Looking good Noct,” teased the blonde.

“Shut up”, huffed Noctis as he struggled to stay afloat.

Prompto giggled. “Having trouble there?”

“No!” Noctis retorted as he crossed his arms as he floated upside down. “I just want to be like this.”

Sora swam up to the prince and turned him back the right way. “Don't worry Noct. The first time I became a merman, I had trouble swimming too. Just don't think about it too much. All you have to do is move your tail back and forth.”

“Come on Noct. I'll help you,” Prompto said as he offered his hand to the prince. Noctis took it slowly and instantly felt the warmth of the blonde's hand in his. “Okay. Let's try to swim slowly a few feet forward. Just do what I do.”

Prompto smiled at Noctis as he slowly started swimming forward. Noctis mimicked the movement of his tail and did his best to move forward while staying afloat. It was a little tricky, but he started to get the hang of it.

“You're doing great Noct! Now let's try swimming faster. We'll start off slowly, then we'll speed up.”

Behind them, Sora was cheering the raven on. “Believe in yourself Noct, cause if you don't, you'll just end up being a failure of a merman!”

Noctis grumbled as he and Prompto swam at a nice and steady pace. He looked down as he noticed Sora swimming much deeper to the bottom of the ocean. He was a much more experienced swimmer after all, so he knew how to navigate these types of waters better than him or Prompto. The two had silently agreed to not go any deeper than they already were. They weren't too deep, just deep enough that they could still make out the silhouette of the boat.

Eventually, the two were swimming at a fast pace and surprisingly, Noctis was able to keep up with Prompto. The blonde seemed to notice this and decided to slowly let go of Noctis' hand. “Hey Noct! I bet you can't catch me!”

“That's cause I don't want to,” replied Noctis.

Prompto slowed to a stop and pouted. “Aww, you're no fun.” He put a hand to his chin in thought. “What if there was a reward for catching me?”

This seemed to peek Noctis' interest. “What type of reward?”

“Only the best reward ever!”

“Which is?”

“Umm, an improvised one?”

“An improvised one?” Noctis raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah! Those are the best types of rewards cause they're special and one of a kind!”

“... right.”

Prompto started to swim away from the prince. “Come on Noct, don't be a square!”

“What the hell does that even mean?!”

With a huff, Noctis launched himself forward, instantly catching up with the blonde. Prompto laughed as he noticed that Noctis was finally chasing after him and started to swim even faster. He easily got away from the prince, leaving him stunned as he tried to catch up.

Noctis became more frustrated as Prompto got away from him. He didn't know how Prompto was swimming that fast. He didn't think he could go any faster. Just as he was about to give up, Sora appeared below him, swimming at the same pace that he was going.

“Pssst, Noct! There's one trick I haven't shown Prompto that could help you win this,” the teen said.

“I'm listening,” Noctis said, slowing down to a stop.

Sora stopped as well. “Alright. So this is gonna make you go incredibly fast but it takes a certain pattern of tail movements to work. The first part is slow and requires you to curve your tail into an arch.” Sora proceeded to demonstrate the movement slowly. “Remember to always do this first part at a slow pace, no matter how fast you're going.”

Noctis tried to replicate the movement as best as he could. After a few attempts, he was able to do it perfectly. “Alright, so what's the next part?”

“The next part should be easier. All you have to do is flap your fins rapidly four times and then you repeat this whole process again and again.”

Noctis looked nervous at first but as he spotted Prompto swimming in the distance, he became determined. He took a deep breath and looked at Sora who gave him a big smile and a thumbs up. Feeling a little encouragement from the boy, he looked to Prompto and began to move his tail. After a couple of times of doing the pattern of movements, Noctis found himself catching up to the blonde. He reveled in the moment that Prompto's smug smirk fell from his face. His eyes widened and he sped up more, but Noctis had no problem with that. He just kept getting faster and faster until …

“Haha! Gotcha!” Noctis had grabbed Prompto's tail, causing the two males to tumble around in the water. As they slowed down, they righted themselves up and caught their breath, especially Prompto.

“How – How the hell did you catch me?” the blonde panted.

“Let's just say I had a good teacher,” Noctis smirked.

Prompto frowned and narrowed his eyes. “Freaking Sora.”

Noctis laughed and tilted his head. “So blondie, what about my reward?”

Prompto rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah. I'm thinking here.”

“Didn't think I'd actually win, did you?”Noctis crossed his arms. “That's why you haven't thought of a reward huh?”

Suddenly, Prompto grabbed Noctis' face. “Noct, just shut up for a sec.”

Noctis' eyes widened as he saw Prompto slowly leaning in. He could see every beautiful freckle that dusted his face. He saw just how majestic his eyes looked. Prompto didn't just have one color in his eyes. He had different hues of blues and purples that created a galaxy with shining stars in his eyes.

Noctis closed his eyes and didn't even breathe, scared that if he did, the moment would be over. He waited for what he had been wanting for the longest time. He waited and waited until …

He felt soft tender lips press against the tip of his nose. It felt warm and wonderful, even if it was just a kiss on the nose. The kiss lasted a whole four seconds … four seconds that Noctis would cherish forever.

When Prompto pulled away, Noctis slowly opened his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding. Prompto was looking at him with a soft and fond look. He had a light blush on his cheeks which brought out his freckles even more.

Prompto reached up and brushed some stray bangs that had made their way in front of Noctis' eyes. His efforts were futile however since the water just kept pushing the hair back onto the raven's face. Still, the blonde persisted.

Noctis chuckled and shook his head. “Prom, there's no point in moving them.”

“But, I like seeing your eyes.” Prompto didn't realize what he'd said until he saw the surprise on Noctis' face. He could try and make up some excuse for saying that or maybe he could play it off as some sort of joke, but he realized that he didn't want to. What he did want to do was kiss Noctis senseless. And with the little surge of confidence running through him, Prompto decided he was going to do just that.

He held the raven's face in his hands once again and looked into his eyes. He then leaned his head against Noctis' and had his lips hover over his. The blonde closed his eyes, and whispered, “Tell me to stop Noct. Please, just tell me to stop.”

Noctis let out a small sigh against Prompto's lips. “Maybe … maybe I don't want you to stop.”

They both opened their eyes, surprised that this was actually happening. That this was going to happen. They each looked down at the other's lips, already deciding what they were gonna do, when all of a sudden, a voice startled them.

“Hey guys, Ignis and Gladio are looking for you and -” Sora came to a stop once he saw how close the two were, but it was already too late. The moment was over. Noctis and Prompto pushed away from each other, both of their faces red. “Aww come on! You've gotta be freaking kidding me! I decide to come at this exact moment and I ruined it! You guys were so close to – and I just – agh!”

“Sora, what the heck are you talking about?” asked Noctis as he finally looked away from the blonde.

Sora sighed. “Nothing, nothing.” He ran a hand through his surprisingly still spiky hair. “Anyway, Ignis and Gladio are looking for you guys. They seem a little … bothered that we decided to take a swim without letting them know first.”

Noctis sighed. “Okay then. Sora change us back.”

Sora gave Noctis a deadpan look. “Noct, I don't know if you know this, but we're kinda underwater. Do you really want me to turn you back into a human?”

The raven rolled his eyes. “I mean turn us back when we break through the surface of the water dummy.”

“Newsflash Your Highness, you gotta be out of the water in order for me to turn you back.”

“What? Why?”

“Cause then your clothes would get wet,” Sora said in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious.

“Sora, buddy, how are we supposed to get out of the water?” asked Prompto.

“Easy. We're gonna jump onto the boat.”

“We're what?” asked Noctis in disbelief.

“Trust me, it's not as hard as it seems. We just gotta get enough speed to make the leap.” Sora started making his way deeper into the water. Noctis and Prompto looked at each other, then followed the brunette. Once they were a few hundred feet below, Sora stopped and looked up to the surface of the water. “Okay, so all we gotta do is swim really fast until we break through the surface of the water. Once you do that, you have to use your tail to push yourself up as much as you can so you can launch yourself out of the water.”

“Won't it hurt? Once we land on the boat I mean,” asked Prompto.

Sora looked at him and shrugged. “That's why you gotta hope that someone catches you.” Then, the teen shot upward and out of the water in no time.

“What the hell does he even mean by that?!” Prompto asked in panic.

Noctis shrugged. “Guess we're about to find out.” The raven sped toward the surface of the water. His head broke through the water and with a kick of his tail, he shot out of the ocean. He flew over the railing and luckily into a pair of arms. Noctis looked up to see that he fell into Ignis' arms. The adviser was looking down at the prince's tail with his mouth agape. Noctis looked to his left to find that Gladio was carrying Sora who was clapping for the raven.

“Wait, who's gonna catch Prom-”

Noctis' question was cut short when he heard a loud splash. He looked toward the railing to see that Prompto was flying over them, screaming as he realized that no one was going to catch him. All of a sudden, the tapping of heels against the wooden floor could be heard which only meant one person had just walked in.

“Oof!”

Noctis watched as the blonde crashed right into none other than Aranea. This only made Noctis believe more that some type of all powerful force had it out for him. These coincidences were far too frequent. It was either that or maybe Prompto and Aranea were really meant to be together and make beautiful babies.

Aranea grumbled from her position on the floor. She put a hand to her head while the other lied next to her. Prompto had his hands on the floor on both sides of Aranea's head, lifting his upper body up to look at her. Unfortunately, most of his body was still flush against hers.

“Aranea are you okay?” asked the blonde.

The silvernette opened her eyes to see that Prompto was on top of her. “I'm fine shortcake, just getting a bit of a headache now.” She looked down at his tail and gasped. “What happened to your legs?”

Prompto smiled at her. “Sora turned us into mermen so we could swim in the ocean.”

Aranea used a hand to trace imaginary lines on the blonde's chest. “A merman huh? The look suits you.”

Prompto blushed and smiled at her. Noctis had enough of this sappy romantic crap and decided to shatter the moment the two were having by clearing his throat loudly. “So are we gonna turn back or what?”

Sora perked up, as if just realizing they were still mermen. “Oh yeah!” Gladio put the teen down on the floor while Ignis did the same with Noctis. Prompto rolled off of Aranea and landed on the floor with a thud. Sora then held up his keyblade and pointed it to Noctis. A bright ray of light hit the raven and he reverted back to a human, surprisingly with his clothes on. Sora did the same thing to the blonde, then to himself.

Ignis looked down at the three with his arms crossed. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for one of them to begin explaining themselves. When it was obvious that no one was going to do that, the adviser sighed and said, “Next time you decide to turn into mermen and go swimming in the ocean, do tell us.”

“Yeah. I wanted to be a freaking merman too,” grumbled Gladio.

“Gladio, this is not -”

“Don't worry Gladio! Next time you'll be one. I promise,” said Sora.

“Yeah, I better.”

“Anyway, as much as I love having a guy on top of me, I came here looking for the squirt,” said Aranea as Prompto choked at her words.

Noctis growled and crossed his arms. “What do you need Sora for?”

“Top secret, pretty boy.”

Noctis took a step toward the woman but Sora got up quickly and stood in front of him. “Don't worry Noct. She's on our side, remember? And plus, if she does try something, I can defend myself.” Noctis still didn't look happy but nodded nevertheless.

Aranea wrapped an arm around Sora and led him to her room, away from the others.

 

 

 

“So what's this top secret thing you wanna talk about” asked Sora as he stood in the middle of the silvernette's room. He watched as Aranea sat on the twin bed and ran a hand through her bangs. She looked up at him with stress and worry all over her face.

“There's something I haven't been telling you guys about,” she looked down at the lower part of her left arm which was covered by her gauntlet.

Sora took a tentative step toward her. “I'm sure whatever it is, we can get through it. After all, you want to help us, right?”

“Of course I do. I want to do everything I can to help before I can't help myself anymore.”

Sora sat down next to the woman. “Aranea, what's going on?”

She sighed and pulled off her left gauntlet. Sora's eyes widened at what he saw. On Aranea's wrist were black spider veins stretching out toward the palm of her hand and a few inches below her wrist. Sora reached out to touch her wrist but then stopped himself. “H- How?”

Aranea ran the tips of her fingers over the veins, tracing each one of them with a frown. “Before I was sent to the imperial base, the one where I was supposed to kill you guys, Ardyn said he had a gift for me. I knew he was already questioning my loyalty to the Empire.” She looked to the boy and chuckled. “Next thing I know, I'm strapped to some metal table and I see the bastard in front of me with a syringe. He said he was gonna make me stronger. He said that this would also insure that even if I did betray him now, I would eventually become loyal to him again. So he injected me with daemon blood and here I am now.”

“How long do you have?” Sora asked nervously.

Aranea shook her head. “I don't know kid. I don't know. What I do know is that one day I'm going to wake up as one of those monsters and when I do, I need you to promise me something.”

Sora bit his lip and shook his head frantically. “No. No don't even -”

“I need you to kill me when the time comes.”

Tears threatened to spill from the brunette's eyes as he still refused the woman's request. “No. I won't do it.”

“Sora please.”

“No! Why me anyway, huh?!”

“Because you're the only other person I trust enough to do it!” This caused the teen to stare at her in disbelief. She took a deep breath and continued. “I could ask Prompto to do it, but I know he won't. Plus, I can't make him go through that.” A tear ran down her cheek. “He cares too much.”

The tears finally spilled from Sora's eyes. He put his face in his hands and cried. Aranea sniffled and hugged the boy, pulling him to her chest. “Come on kid, don't cry. Crying is for wimps like me. You're stronger than most people. You shouldn't cry over me.”

Sora hugged Aranea back. “But you're my friend. Of course I'm gonna cry over you.”

She chuckled as tears kept falling from her face. “You're making it harder for me to make you promise to kill me.”

Sora let out a chuckle as well. He slowly pulled away from the woman and wiped his eyes. “Good.” He looked at her, determination in his eyes. “I'll promise that but only cause I'm gonna make sure you never become a daemon. Think of it as two promises then.” He gave her a small smile and held out a pinky.

Aranea looked down at the outstretched finger and laughed. “I'll hold you up to that promise.” She intertwined her bare pinky with his, sealing the promise.

 

 

 

It was dark and cold when Noctis asked Prompto to stargaze with him. It was cliché but it was the only excuse the prince could come up with to meet up with the blonde.

_I suggest if you have something important to say to anyone, that you do it before it's too late._

Ignis' words still ran through his head. Those words were the only reason why he was out here waiting for Prompto in the first place. He was leaning against the railing, nervously shaking his leg. He was already regretting his decision. He didn't know how to open up to people. Hell, he didn't even apologize to the blonde for the stupid things he said to him. He should probably start off with that first.

The sound of steps against the wooden floorboards alerted Noctis of Prompto's presence. He turned his head and watched as the gunner made his way to the railing and leaned against it, next to him. The blonde breathed out and looked up at the starry night sky.

“Do you ever wonder if there's a different sky for each world out there?”

After staring at Prompto for a while, Noctis got out of his daze. “Huh?”

Prompto looked at Noctis. “The sky. Is it the same one for every world, or is there a different one for each of them?”

“Hmm, I'm not sure. Although, I'd like to think that there's just one sky that connects them altogether.”

“That's a nice thought.”

After a few minutes of silence, the prince decided that it was time to start what he had come out here to do. “Listen Prom, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you when we left the base. I swear I didn't mean any of it. You're one of the most important people in my life and I would never want to intentionally hurt you.”

Prompto gave the raven a soft smile. “I know Noct, I know. You don't have to apologize.”

“Yes I do,” Noctis said, tone becoming serious. “You've always been there for me, always followed me regardless of the consequences and yet, I still manage to be a jerk to you.”

“That's not true Noct. You're the best person I know. You probably had your reasons for going off on me anyway.”

“No. There's no excuse for what I did to you. I was just mad and … and jealous I guess. Jealous cause Sapphire and Aranea were getting along with you so fast that I -” The raven chuckled and shook his head, looking out at the dark sea.

Prompto put a reassuring hand on Noctis' shoulder. “You know no one could ever replace you right? They can try but, you'll always be my best friend and my favorite person, Noct. I wouldn't want anyone else to fill that role.”

“Please don't say that. There's so many people out there that are much kinder, much more selfless than me.”

Prompto scoffed and squeezed the prince's shoulder. “Noct, you're allowed to feel selfish at times. Heck, you're allowed to feel jealousy, anger, sadness, happiness, excitement. The point is, you're only human. You're allowed to feel the same emotions everyone else does. You don't need to hide them and act all high and mighty for our sake. We worry about you. I … I worry about you … a lot.”

Noctis gave a slight smile. “Don't worry about me. As long as I get to insure that you and everyone else get to live long, peaceful, happy lives, then I'm -”

“Don't you dare say that you're fine cause I know you're not! You're exhausted Noct! I see it in your eyes, in your forced smile!” Prompto took a breath and composed himself. “You're not okay, Noct. And if you're not okay, then I'm not okay cause all I want for you is to be happy.” The blonde rubbed his eyes in order to prevent the tears that threatened to spill out.

Noctis' heart broke at the sight. He never wanted to cause Prompto any sort of pain and yet, that's all he had been doing. This stupid prophecy had already brought so much sadness and despair into the prince's life. He didn't need Prompto to be going through that either. It wasn't fair for him. So Noctis did the only thing he could do at the moment. He hugged his best friend. He hugged him tightly, fighting back tears of his own, relishing the moment. He wasn't ready to let go of him. He wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Prompto seemed to be thinking the same thing because he was clutching onto the prince. He cried silently, burying his face in the raven's shoulder. Noctis deserved the world and Prompto was going to do everything in his power to give it to him, prophecy be damned.

The two pulled away from the embrace but still held each other. Noctis saw the tear streaks on the blonde's face and he wiped them away with his hand gently. This was the perfect time for him to finally tell Prompto what he meant to him before it was too late. He knew that if he didn't tell him, he would regret it. “Prom I -”

But looking into Prompto's sparkling eyes made Noctis realize something. He had no words to describe this feeling that grew everyday when he was around the blonde. And to make it worst, his nerves were going crazy. He was terrified of being rejected, of being laughed at. He didn't want Prompto to hate him or look at him with disgust. Noctis was never a man of words after all. He usually let his actions speak instead of his words, especially when he was nervous or anxious to get a point across. It was like his body would take over and show how he felt through various movements or actions.

And that's exactly what happened.

Without warning, Noctis captured Prompto's lips with his own. It was a little awkward at first since Noctis was the only one putting some sort of effort into the kiss, but after a dazed Prompto realized that yes, those were in fact his best friend's lips on his, he closed his eyes and kissed back to the best of his ability.

Prompto's lips were warm, soft, sweet, and everything Noctis had dreamed they'd be. Feeling the blonde's lips against his made him feel at peace, like everything was going to be alright. He felt no pain, just Prompto, and Prompto made him happy.

Noctis was in his own little world until the blonde let out a content sigh and that's when Noctis realized something else:

_I'm kissing Prompto and tomorrow we arrive in Altissia … where Luna is waiting … where we were supposed to get married._

Noctis immediately opened his eyes in alarm and broke the kiss, stepping away from Prompto. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “No no no no no.”

Prompto slowly took a step toward him. “Noct?”

“I just – I just kissed you! Why the hell did I do that?!”

Prompto held his hands out, trying to calm the prince down. “Noct it's okay.”

“No, it's not okay! You know what it is?! Stupid that's what!”

“Wh – What?”

“I shouldn't have done that. That kiss was meant for Luna, not for you.” Prompto's breath hitched at hearing this. “That was my first kiss Prom and I wasted it! I was supposed to kiss Luna, not you! She's been waiting for me all these years and I for her.”

Prompto wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. But most importantly, he wanted to yell out his frustrations at the raven. “So you're disgusted with me, is that it?! You were just using me to figure things out?! To blow off some steam?!”

Noctis suddenly realized that all the words he had just said came out terribly wrong. “No, wait Prom that's not what I -”

“I don't care what you have to say Noct! You've already said enough!” The blonde turned around, his back to Noctis. “Don't worry about Lady Lunafreya finding out about this, cause I won't be saying anything about it. I want to forget this ever happened.” He began to walk to his room.

In a desperate attempt, Noctis yelled out after him. “Prom, I'm sorry!”

Prompto stopped and turned around, only to yell back, “Fuck you and your crappy apologies, Noct!” And with that, he stormed off to his room.

Noctis sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands. He didn't mean to kiss Prompto. All he wanted to do was tell the blonde how special he was to him. Instead, he said the complete opposite and made Prompto feel like absolute crap. He sobbed wondering how or if he would ever be able to fix this. He had absolutely no idea what to do.

He did know one thing though:

He had majorly and royally fucked up.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you guys think so far? Leave your feedback in the comments!


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